Alfred: My Lemon
I’ve wanted a dog for a couple of years now, but I wanted to wait until I could afford one and care for it in the way it needs. I had looked for a long time but never really found one that fit. I went to the Shelter on August 16th, just to look. There he was, the cutest little lab mix. When I saw him, I instantly loved him. He was so sweet and scared. $35 and a little paper work later, and I had a dog. Excited to have him, I took him to PetSmart to buy the essentials, $155 dollars and four attempts to jump out of the buggy later, we were on our way to show him his new home. The next day, I took him to the vet for a check up, he looked pretty healthy minus an ear infection, which for a dog from the shelter was very impressive. So $150 dollars and an antibiotic later, Alfred and I were on our way home. By that night, he turned into his true self. As it turns out, two days before I got him, he was neutered, so when I got him, he was still on pain medication. That sweet, calm, scared dog was long gone and Alfred was his true self, strong willed, hyper active, and a little naughty puppy.
At 2 o clock in the morning on day three of our adventure, Alfred started wheezing, coughing and heavy breathing really badly. By four o clock that morning, he had taken a turn for the worse and at one point, stopped breathing. Hours of waiting, a few tests, two bags of fluids and $527 dollars later, I learned he wasn’t quite as healthy as we originally thought. Kennel Cough. So, they gave me a few antibiotics and sent me on my way. The next two days we spent recovering. Day six fo life with Alfred, he started getting sick and not holding down his food. Call to the vet, $48 and a nauseous medication later he seemed to be much better. By this time, I was on a first name basis with everyone in the vets office.
Day eleven of life with Alfred, he decided to eat a bee. I walked into the office, and we all couldn’t help but just laugh at his poor little swollen face. When the vet saw his face, she said “Aw, poor Alfred, he’s your little lemon.” For those who don’t know, a lemon is normally referred to as a car you buy that looks really great on the outside, but has so many problems on the inside. A lemon is a dud. Alfred, my sweet Alfred, is in-fact a lemon. $85 dollars later, the vet brings me a brochure for pet insurance. So by day eleven, Alfred had cost me $1000 dollars.
On this journey as I was telling those around me about our adventures, someone asked me if I was going to send him back. As frustrated as I was, because on top of all the vet visits and the sickness he was chewing things and potty training and I wasn’t sleeping much, he was mine. I chose to take him home and call him mine. I loved him even when he was sick or naughty. How many times do we give God a reason to “send us back?” Or to disown us. We give him reason upon reason and yet he never does. Infact, he see our sin and our shame and still says “I love you.” So, no, I’ll keep him.
Day 75 of life with Alfred, I stopped keeping up with the cost. We have seen the vet over a dozen times and even had surgery on both of his ears. He has chewed more things than I can count and tried to eat everything in sight. We have gone about three weeks without seeing the vet and he has gotten much healthier and more than doubled in size but, he is still my lemon. He is still a little naughty, but we are working on it. All of there kids here at TBC have been taking this journey with me for the time that I’ve been here. One of their favorite things is hearing Alfred stories, I always have a new one to tell, and I don’t think I will ever run out.
