ASHLAND —
I sat in Charleston with a glass of wine, smugly relaxing in a cool, secure house and listening to the woes of the Tri-State.
It was a week ago Friday when that weird storm hit, with high winds that knocked out power for many.
I, however, was on vacation that week. Even though I didn’t visit an exotic locale, I did get out of town to visit friends and family and relax.
That night, after the electrical service went out at my house (a neighbor’s tree fell on the power lines), my dogsitter called to tell me about it, offering advice about getting into the neighborhood, where to park, as there was a tree in my space, and how a slab of shingles blew off my roof.
When we hung up, I was relieved to be someplace where it’s cool and there’s some television. I decided to return home early to cope with the problems, but I was going to enjoy my electrical bounty for the time being.
That didn’t last long. Just when we were about to heat up some leftover Chinese food, we lost power, too, and it was out all night and all the next day, as far as I know, because I headed home, where things were pretty grim.
My boy dog, Manny, built for African heat, was coping well. Besides, heat wouldn’t drive him off his property, which is good because I don’t know anyone who would, could or should welcome him into their house.
My girl, Marcie, however, is more of a city dweller who is accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle of a lap dog. Sure, she likes to roll in the mud and bury bones, but she’s not made for the heat.
During our first night, her breathing woke me. Every inhale was an uncomfortable snort. It went on and on and on, until I decided she would likely have a heart attack if that kind of breathing continued.
It was a tough call, but I decided Manny could survive the heat. I packed Marcie and a water dish and, with Manny in the background making that half-howl/half-whine sound he’s known for, we started driving, not knowing to what destination. I just wanted her to cool off.
It was 2 a.m. before I figured out what to do. We stayed with a friend in Huntington who had power and no pets and we got five hours’ sleep. Each night, Marcie and I returned to stay in a cool location for the evening. Each night, Marcie grew more restless and anxious about being away from home. Each night, my guilt about leaving Manny alone grew.
As I write, I’m still days away from having my electrical service restored. Even though I’m at my crankiest when I’m hot, I’m keeping a cool head by being thankful for having a place to escape the heat and I’m thankful my dogs are coping.
LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.
Columns
Lee Ward: 07/08/2012 — Helping pets cope with heat takes top priority
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