The Rural Voice, 2003-08, Page 10PRICE, SERVICE
& SATISFACTION
1999 GMC 2500 REG CAB 4X4
SL model, 6L V8, auto, air, tilt,
cruise, P.W., P.L., local owner,
low kms. 4 8,900
2002 DODGE RAM 1500 SLT+
SPORT REG CAB
Short box, loaded, heated
leather, alloy wheels, keyless,
cassette/CD, hard tonneau, fog
lights, only 11,000 kms., local
owner, $26,900
2000 DODGE RAM
CARGO VAN
V8, auto, air, white, sold by us new.
4 6,900
1999 GMC JIMMY SLE MODEL
V6, auto, 4x4, pewter, P.W., P.L., tilt,
cruise, air, CD, keyless, overhead
console, a sharp sport utility.
4 4,900
HANOVER CHRYSLER
DODGE JEEP
664 -10th St.,
Hanover
1-866-788-8886
Phone: (519) 364-3570
(OKKA.F.K
Dodge
Jeep
6 THE RURAL VOICE
Carol Riemer
The dog that never was
Carol Riemer
is a freelance
writer who
lives with her
husband and
two
children near
Grand
Valley.
Ontario.
Every year, about this time, a
truck pulls into our driveway and a
stranger gets out. I don't know his
name. We've never been introduced.
I only recognize him by the way he
carefully looks and listens for any
sign of a dog on the property. Over
the years, we've come to know him
as "The Dog Licence Guy." For
some strange reason, he seems to be
convinced that we are harbouring a
fugitive.
The fact is, we don't have a dog.
Sometimes, I think it would be easier
if we did. Then, I wouldn't have to
explain that the dog he saw running
around here actually belongs to our
neighbour. It isn't that we don't like
dogs. We do. I know many country
dwellers who wouldn't be without
one. It's just that, with my husband's
allergy to pet hair, and a house that is
often too small for the four of us, I
think that our decision to forego the
family pooch was a wise one.
Nevertheless, I detect some doubt
in the man's voice, as he turns to get
into his truck.
"Some people just say they don't
have a dog, you know," he explains
to my husband.
The truth is, when we were first
married, we did have a dog. Of
course, those were the days before we
had children, and my husband's
allergy had not yet surfaced. Summer
was nearly over, and we decided to
drive out to visit a breeder. By the
time we arrived, she had no puppies
left, but she told us that she was
trying to find a good home for her
gentle and affectionate two-year-old
female.
There seemed no harm in looking,
so we went out to the enclosure.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a 75 -
pound pile of fur came rushing up to
the fence.
Startled, I jumped back. Looking
over at my husband, I could see that
he was thoroughly enamoured with
this beautiful black and tan German
Shepherd.
Sensing that the decision had
already been made, for one brief
moment, I hoped that reason might
prevail. This dog wasn't exactly what
I had in mind, when we first talked
about getting a pet. But, I guess it's
true what they say. Love is blind.
Before I knew it, the three of us were
driving off into the sunset, heading
home to a life that would never again
be the same.
A kind and gentle animal, this dog
tried hard to adapt to her new
surroundings. Having bonded to her
previous owner, however, she always
seemed to regard us as distant family.
Thunderstorms were what proved to
be her undoing. Racing upstairs, she
would quickly find herself stranded.
After my husband struggled to show
her the finer points, she finally
learned to descend the staircase with
speed, if not grace.
More at home out in the yard, she
barely noticed as the birds flocked to
the feeder. But squirrels were a
different matter. She would chase
them to the fence, applying the
brakes just in time to avoid crashing
into the wooden pickets.
Sometimes, when I come across
her old dog tags, or see her picture in
a photo album, I remember what a
fine dog she really was. They bring
back memories I thought I had
forgotten. But, now that we no longer
have a dog, we have the next best
thing, "The Dog Licence Guy, " a
fellow who comes around once a year
to remind us of her, while searching
in vain, for the dog that never was.0
The Rural Voice
office will be closed for
staff holidays from
July 30 to August 11.
We apologize for any
inconvenience