Shayla

I include this here, as this is a fascinating story.

Shayla had been born in November. We had saved back her and a male puppy. However, in January, the male fell into the swimming pool and drowned. In January, my adopted “son”, Thomas, a Lumbee Indian, left for Job Corp. He and Shala had a special attachment. The week after he left, Shala fell into the swimming pool and drowned also.

Now with the hand care of the puppies, one stood out.... not because of size, because she wasn't the biggest, and not because of color cause they all were white.... but something about her pulled at the heart. We named her Shayla.

As she grew, it only increased. She was 6 weeks old before we realized the fifth toe on her hind feet. By the time she was six weeks old, she was doing things that three month old pups were doing. Her ears came up weeks before the others. And at a tender young age, the adult wolves took her on a romp and left her. We waited impatiently, extremely concerned when we found her missing.

As I sat in the smoke shop, I could see the wolves make a run. I got up to see what was happening. Shayla had returned, and the wolves were excitedly welcoming her. After that, she slept with the adults and ran with the adults at barely 3 months old.

We “felt” this was Shala come back. We “knew” it but we had no real proof. It was suspicious that she picked up at 6 weeks as though she were 3 months. The clincher came when Thomas returned from Job Corp. She ran out to greet him, fell on her back tummy exposed for him to rub as though she knew him. Now we knew for sure that this Shayla was also Shala.

Jack on one of his trips home, asked which is the smartest pup. I gloated over Shayla's accomplishments. Jack gave her to his granddaughter. I protested but it did not do any good. The grand kids were scared to death of the puppies so when Libby left Wyandotte in December, she left the pup behind and then Jack gave it to his new woman. I was in Idaho, too far away to get my Shayla.