My Own Mini Dr. Dolittle

My Own Mini Dr. Dolittle

Hadley often says she wants more pets. And by “often” I mean every 7-9 minutes. She’s asked for EVERYTHING. I mean, EVERYTHING. Currently, we have Atticus, the 100 lb lab, and 4 fish. Finn is allergic to most animals (including Atticus – we figured this out when we got the rats, remember? They were cool but I do not miss them.) so I have the constant reminder of his allergy symptoms and pills to keep me from acquiring new animals. Plus, it’s really all I can handle.

Her love of animals is intense and sweet and real. Hadley has always told me she will eventually live in the country with all of her animals. I have promised to visit often. I’m relieved she has purchased a house in the country in her mind. When she was younger, she wanted a “house with wheels that she could live in with her cats and move whenever she wanted.”

Sweet Jesus, I thought. An RV? A trailer?

Keep breathing.

Anyway, because of my child’s deep, deep, DEEP love of animals, I showed her The Daily Coyote last night. It’s the chronicles of a Wyoming woman who chose to raise a baby coyote after its parents were shot for killing sheep. It’s really fascinating, actually.

Charlie in the beginning - photo from dailycoyote.net

I could hear Hadley’s brain cranking when she saw the first picture and I explained what it was.

She immediately hopped up and started pacing.

“How far away is Wyoming? It’s pretty close, isn’t it, Mom?”

pace.pace.pace.

“Mm Hmmm.” I say.

pace.pace.pace.

She must have abandoned that geographic though because she moved on quite quickly.

“So, Mom? If we were like, walking to the mailbox one day, and off to the side of the street there was a teeny, tiny baby fox or coyote or something, could we keep it?”

“No, sweetie. We would call a Wildlife Organization to help us –“

“BUT, what if it was really late at night and the baby animal was really helpless and –“

“We would still call a Wildlife Organization.” I said sweetly knowing exactly where this was going.

“BUT, what if the Wildlife Organization was closed for the day or for TWO days and the baby animal is crying, Mama??”

“Then we would keep it warm and safe until we could figure out what to do.”

She lit up.

“In my room!?!! Can I keep it in my room!!? Could we build something for it so it could live in my room with me for the two days?!!?”

“Ok, Hadley. Yes, if we happen to find a baby fox or coyote near the mailbox in suburbia, in the dead of night and no wildlife organization is available then you can keep it in your room for two days.”

Charlie now with Shreve Stockton – photo from dailycoyote.net