Once my car was repaired, I continued on my way south, when I blew a radiator hose and limped into this truckstop on the highway, just a few miles north of Cleveland, Tennessee. The truck stop didn't have ANY car parts - the mechanic was really nifty though, he managed to fashion a truck heater hose somehow or another onto my radiator.

Meanwhile, while waiting for him to fix my car, I heard the sound of puppies.

Yup, a whole bunch of them Seems someone had abandoned an entire litter of puppies right there at the truck stop.

There was eight of them, small tiny things, cute as could be, maybe five or six weeks old, eyes barely open, living in the bed of a rusted-out dead pick-up truck. No food to be seen and only a small amount of water.

A mechanic there told me they were trying to find homes for them. They were SO SMALL!!! I picked one up... *sucker* that I am ... and offered to take him with me, figured I'd drop him off at the shelter in Atlanta or Tallahassee, where my next two stops were planned.

Well, I never made it to the shelter in Atlanta ... but I did make it to a vet. That little 4 pound bundle of fur turned out to be a VERY VERY SICK puppy. The vet announced that this mellow, sweet, adorable mostly ears-and-tail puppy had Parvo. And Worms. And Mange. And a very high fever - severely dehydrated, too.

By that time, I'd already made the horrible mistake of giving him a name - Cleveland - because that was the very next sign I saw on the road after I left the truck stop, with puppy sleeping between us in a small box. By the way, if you ever pick up a stray, NEVER NAME IT!! The moment you do, it's yours!

Anyway, the vet in Atlanta told us he didn't think Cleveland would last the night and that there really wasn't anything he could do for him ... he was too far gone. He offered to euthanize him, but that would cost $185 and I couldn't afford that. He did give Cleveland an I.V. to help with the dehydration, and never charged us for the exam or the I.V. Great vet!!

Sucker that I am, softhearted weakling for the strays in this world, I decided I'd take him with me, that way at least if he was going to die, he would die with warmth and love around him (not to forget lots of petting).

All he did was sleep and throw up all that night. It was very very sad, he was so sick! But he lasted that night (and we left the maid in that highway hotel outside of Atlanta a very nice tip!).

We stopped in Tallahassee next, where I brought him to a vet I knew there (I use to live in Tallahassee.) He said the same thing - parvo, etc., and was VERY surprised this little white and black all ears-and-tails sweetheart was still alive. He also gave him fluids via I.V., and also offered to euthanize him. And he also didn't charge me for the office visit and I.V.!

Cleveland stayed alive for another night, still getting sick everytime he ate or drank anything. I should have brought him to the pound... but nooooo.... off we went the next day down to Coral Springs, Florida, to my folks house, where the VERY FIRST thing out of my parent's mouth was "What are you doing with a PUPPY!! Oh, he's so CUTE!! Laura, I think he's sick!"

Off to my mother's favorite vet, just to hear yet again, no way was he going to last the night. Another I.V. for the dehydration, another offer to euthanize him... yet another night at home with a sick puppy.

Then, in the middle of the night, I heard BARKING. LOTS of barking... it was the first time he had barked since I found him! The quiet, mellow, loving adorable little bundle of fur had broke his fever!!

Here it is now, six years later, and that tiny little puppy that was mostly ears and tail is now a VERY healthy, very BIG, incredibly smart, very loving moose-in-disquise-as-a-dog.

Cleveland's been my travel-buddy, best friend, best bed-warmer, and laugh-a-day-provider ever since. He's traveled more than most humans! Needless to say, I adore that mutt, and he's one of the best things that ever happened to me, all 85+ pounds of bed-hogging food-mooching fur that he is.

Cleveland now has a "sister" - another stray mutt the sucker that I am managed to acquire. Her name is Colfax, she adopted me in January of 1995, and she's another story for another time.

If you ever stop at a truck stop on the interstate just north of Cleveland, Tennessee, ask if they remember a sucker with a blown radiator hose who took a puppy with her. Tell them I said "Thank You!"