Lexie

                Mr.Thomas Brown was a nondescript man. He was short of stature, with a rotund, protruding belly, a balding head, but was always in the best of spirits. His motto in life was to take up any challenge and be successful. It was a child’s play for him to overcome any obstacle, as he had intelligence above the average. Not only did he have foresight, but he had the acumen of a shrewd business man. He was a dog –breeder, but of late he had noticed that the number of customers was dwindling and so was his income. The demand was for Cattle-Watch Dogs in Southern California, but the dogs in the market lacked the energy and stamina required to keep big herds of cattle in check. The idea seeped into his brain that if he imported the Australian Herd Dogs, he could perhaps satisfy his customers. The Australian dogs were specifically bred for ranch work. The Scottish Collies, and Dalmatians which were known for hard work and loyalty, were cross bred with the English Sheep Dog, but did not have the physique to tolerate the rough terrain. So they were again cross-bred with the tenacious Dingoes, which had the energy required to mind the cattle. So this is how Little Lexie’s ancestors came to the USA, and one beautiful day, a cute puppy, a Red Heeler Breed, was born.

 So this a short background of how Lexie came into this world. He used to push his 

       Siblings away from his mother, and snuggle close to her, fighter that he was, from the very first day, but this was fun! He was the smartest of them all, always agile and alert. His ears used to be up, when he scented that all was not well, and would run up and down, in a typical herd-dog manner, but not very far from his mother, with whom he was very much attached. But his happy, care-free days did not last for long, as one sad day he was torn from his mother and brothers. He protested, and showed his displeasure by yelping all the time, he also shed tears, but men are very selfish, they could not bother if they broke the heart of a little puppy. They did not care even if the mother felt the pangs of separation, and being helpless, endured the pain in mute silence. So the little puppy at the age of three months was bought by a rich gentleman, Timothy White , for a huge sum of money, for his seven years old son. But though the man had a lot of money, he did not love dogs, and had only bought it for his son, to make him happy. From the first day he kept a distance from the dog, presuming that if he went too near it, he might get allergic reactions. Elsa White, his wife, let her family know that she would not allow the dog’s dirty foot-prints soil her pearl-white expensive carpet. So there was no other alternative for Sam, the little boy, but to put the dog in an enclosure outside in the garden.

   From here starts the new chapter in Lexie’s life. The three-month old pup cried his heart out for the first two days, but these cross-bred dogs are supposed to be super intelligent, so Lexie curled up in a corner, and hoped that some kind soul would take him out. He shivered in the cold, exposed to the icy wind. He thought of his mother’s warm body, and yearned to snuggle next to it. His soft body resting on the gravel under him, felt sore. His master did not consider that even a puppy needs a bed. All alone in the enclosure, he wanted to be with his siblings, and play with them. He was terribly lonely. He wondered how long he would be kept in that helpless, hapless state. He dug up for himself a hollow in the soil with his little paws, in which he could rest. Sam would come now and then, pet him on the head and say “Hello, Lexie “and offer him a few biscuits. He filled up a bucket of water for the week, and gave him dog food twice in the day, but being a child, he was averse to doing the routine work daily. Lexie hated the food, but when he became very hungry, he had to eat it. He did not relish the dog- food granules, which they offered him, and expected he should love. How could he, after all, his ancestors were dingoes, or ferocious wild dogs, which tore off the flesh from live victims. Lexie looked out through the barred fence, and as he saw with longing eyes at passers-by going past, he hoped somebody would feel his pain, and rescue him.

With all his energy, he was cooped up in the small enclosure. His masters did not bother to give him a toy to break his boredom, or take him out for a walk. He could just while away his time grinding the pebbles with his teeth. It is the natural urge in dogs to bite when they are teething, but what was he to do? One by one his teeth broke with all his grinding effort. Ticks made a nest in his fur, and he was in agony all day and night, because his skin itched so much. Without a bath, dirt settled on his body and fungus made an inroad into his once tender skin, and his fur fell off exposing red patches, his ears were infected, and caused a lot of irritation. Mr. White had enough of the dog and was tired of the problems. He decided to send him to the pound, as he could not, and did not want to cope up anymore.

 But one day, unexpectedly a lady who used to pass the house every day, felt pity for the wretched dog. She used to take her dog out for a walk, and Lexie used to go on barking to attract her attention. As she was a dog-lover, finally she went up to his master, and asked him whether he would be willing to give her the dog. As for Mr White, the dog had become a burden, and he wanted to get rid of the Nuisance as fast as possible. So this is how life took a dramatic turn for the little pup.

 Nancy carried Lexie like a babe, and talked to him soothingly, and told him that everything would be alright , as she was taking him to a Vet, who would give him the right medicines and cure him of all his ailments. In return, he licked her cheek. He was given a warm bath, a soft bed next to Nancy’s, and toys to chew and play with. In no time Lexie’s mottled coat began to shine, he was cured of the ticks, and the skin infection. He loved to go for long walks with Nancy and Ted. His favorite game was running after the balls, which Ted threw at a great distance, with the help of “Chuck it.” Life was exciting now and he found in Nancy, a mother, and true to his breed, he displayed loyalty and affection for her. He would quietly sit with his head on her feet, and follow her about where ever she went. He knew now he had a family, and was a happy and contented dog.