The Washington times., 1937-03-22
NOW
AiLing Pets
Make Whole
WORLD KIN
By HELEN ESSARY

Dog owners automatically be-
come friends, decided the other
day after meeting about 20 OF
them in the antiseptic ante room
of a veterinary hospital.
An assorted group we were OF
strangers suddenly grown congo
NAL over our common trouble
our sick pets. I sat on a hard
splint bottomed chair for about
an hour with my poor wire haired
puppy in my arms.
The veterinary had been delayed
by an operation on a dog struck
by an automobile in Maryland.
was fortunate in having a place
to sit. More than dozen other
dog owners stood patient and anX-
ious, awaiting chance to nave
their pets treated.
The woolly brown and white dog
Of the big man in the leather
Jacket didn't seem to be very Ill.
I thought enviously, as the dog
rushed up and down the narrow
black and white linoleum covered
floor, wagging his tail and trying
to make friends with everybody.
The big man looked like a truck
driver. His strong muscles Swelled
the sleeves of his jacket as he
propped his shoulders against the
painted wall of the waiting room.
His slouch hat partly hid his
kind, red-cheeked face and his
companionable pipe. He smiled
sympathetically at my poor little
dog and said he sure was sorry
he was so sick. He guessed thor
oughbredS were hard to raise.
They caught things faster than
big husky mongrels like his.
He patted my dog on the head
and tried to cheer him up.
'WhiSkers" opened two cloudy
eyes and then sank into silent
misery.
The Lady in the Mink Coat
and the new spring hat was also
kind. She said she had had
dreadful time raising her wire
haired terriers. Had lost two. But
her Spitz, a beautiful white dog,
had caused her little worry.
The Mink Coat Lady's hus-
band was trying to soothe the
Spitz who at the moment was
in the throes of an attack of
nerves. The dog was excited, the
husband said, because he recog.
nized where he was. He remen.
bered the time he had been
brought to the same doctor to
have a tooth pulled.
"He isn't going to hurt you
this time" the man said to the
dog as if he we're speaking to
a child. Don't be afraid. The
doctors just going to look you
over to see if you are in good
health. No teeth pulled today"
The little italian and his wife,
standing against the window, had
come to pay their dog a visit. He
had been in the hospital a long
time. Distemper. They had
feared in the beginning they were
going to lose him, but thank the
Blessed Mother and the doctor, he
was better today.
The Italian didn't look unlike
a dog himself. His hair stood up
fully three inches straight from
his forehead. His wife watched
him admiringly while he knowing
ly discussed distemper with the
Mink Coat Lady.
The young man in the corner
hadn't much to say. He was
plainly unhappy about the Scot
tie he held close, wrapped up in
his expenSive-l looking polo coat.
He thought the dog had pneu.
monia. He wasn't sure, but he
could tell that he had very high
fever.
The other dog owners mur-
INJURED Sympathetically. Poor lit
tie thing" said the truck driver,
rubbing the dog under the chin.
Have you had him long?"
"A year." said the young man.
"He'S never been really sick be.
fore. I can't imagine what's the
matter with him.
In one wretched group was a
young girl, about IL, holding
crippled fox terrier tenderly while
her father looked fearfully on.
The terrier had been shot in the
side by hateful neighbor merely
because he had wandered into the
yard, the father said. They didn't
know how badly he had been hurt
He was such a brave little fellow
and only moaned now and then.
But didn't we think his eyes looked
awfully pitiful?
well, you've come to good doc
tor comforted the italian. Hell
fix the dog up all right"
The doctor told me that "Whis-
kerS" was a very sick animal; that
he couldn't diagnose his case yet,
but to leave him there. The people
in the waiting room were sorry to
hear this. They smiled at me as
I left, and wished me good luck.
Willard Custer Case