Meet Nellie

There are many stray dogs here... the same as any other place in Latin America. Eric and I have discussed getting a puppy so that Anna has a playmate, but had no intentions of getting a dog right away...

But, when we encountered Nellie on our way home one day, we just had to rescue her. We could tell instantly that she was a sweet and loving dog... and also skinny, scrawny, mangy, and a little fea.


Eric and I scooped her up and jumped in a taxi. The driver took us to a little veterinary clinic and we were able to meet with the Vet right away. She declared Nellie to be about 7 months old and in good health other than a skin fungus which was causing itchy sores all over her body. She gave her a few vaccines, and she gave us a prescription for special shampoo and cream. Our instructions were to give her a Benadine bath every other day and put creme on all her sores twice per day.

Our first night with Nellie went great! She slept on a small quilt next to Eric's side of the bed. She woke us up around 5am whining at the bedroom door. I took her out to the yard, she did her business and trotted right back in... as if she'd been with us all along.

The next day, Carmen and Rafael came to look at the house two doors down. When Eric told them about the dog we'd adopted, Carmen exclaimed "That's my dog!" Somehow during her walks back and forth between our house and Bert's house, she had made friends with this little scrawny street dog. Rafael and Carmen currently live in an apartment, but will soon be
moving into the pink house.

When we heard about the special bond between Nellie and Carmen, it all made perfect sense. Eric and I didn't really want another dog at this time... but we were meant to pick her up, get her healthy and then give her over to Carmen. We discussed it with them, and they agreed. They will be getting back from Costa Rica sometime this week and taking Nellieto their new house. Everyone is happy!