We went in yesterday afternoon to visit the masked heeler. Youngest son and I, a little after four o'clock.

She, obviously, was happy to see us. They had moved her to a larger kennel, and she was standing when she heard our voices. And came hobbling out when they opened the door.

Thoughtlessly, I immediately threw the old glove into the kennel. And her ears dropped.

Not a good sign, from her point of view.

So I pocketed the glove, and we sat on the floor as she whined and complained about her treatment. And ate kibbles from my hand.

For over an hour.

My butt and one ankle were quite sore, but she was finally sleeping on the floor, with her head in my lap.

They got the surgery all done through one incision on the left hip, with this huge, grotesque scar. Large stitches with bulging flesh in between them. Not the fine, small stitches you get with human doctors worried about scarring. But she is at least less than one quarter bald.

And solid bruising on that hip. With a bulbous swelling low on the leg where the fluids have all settled. But they are pleased with her progress, her using the leg already, and her perky attitude.

While she slept, I visited with Hazel, the beagle in the cage above. She had been there since before Kira, and for the same problem. And had surgery the same night. But no visitors. The vet had even had to go pick her up at home, since she was in such pain that she bit her owners.

Vets that make house calls. Got those in your community?

Anyway, you could see the eyes light up when someone actually spoke to her. Also visited with JoJo, a gorgeous dog with a red heeler face, but probably mostly basenji. In for the same problem: run over, with a broken pelvis. And may lose a front leg. Vet staff says they'd had a rash of these in the past week. Normally one or two a week. JoJo also seemed pleased to have some attention, but alarmed we knew her name.

A tranquilized, heavyset blue heeler was placed in the next kennel. Also run over. Injuries more serious than ours (I eavesdrop shamelessly). Peeked in the examining room as we came in, and saw her big tough cowboy's head, complete with cowboy hat, bobbing up and down over his heeler on the table. Perhaps he was laughing at something the doc said, but I think not.

Wife arrived a little after five o'clock. Not prearranged, but I knew she would. And she was not surprised to see the truck in the parking lot.

So she took over petting the masked heeler, and holding her head as she slept (deep enough for dreams...probably doesn't get that at night in the kennel). So I touched Hazel and JoJo through the bars. And Hazel, the vicious little beagle, also went to sleep with me leaning against her cage. Sleep with dreams.

The little bulldog two kennels down, who is just confined while her owner is working, amused herself by taking kibbles to the corner of the door, and then smacking them with her nose. And then she would mash her face against the bars as she watched them roll across the floor.

And then get another kibble out of the bowl and repeat the process.

Another young bulldog, also belonging to one of the staff, has nearly free rein of the place. Fortunately (or by intent) she wears a harness. So everytime she decided to run over to see why this heeler was out of its cage, youngest son would simply grab the harness in between the shoulders and turn it around.

And it would continue, momentum unimpeded, until it forgot where it was going.

Handbag-sized dogs with handles. Wonderful idea. Also cute, but not too bright.

Having the masked heeler sleep on the floor wasn't the best idea, as we would have to roust her back into her kennel when we left.

Wife's solution was to crawl into the kennel with Kira, and get her to relax and sleep again on the blanket. With her glove. And then we could fairly calmly slip away.

Finally did, a little after 18:30. Several of the staff left before we did, but they said it was not a problem, so we stayed.

Were hoping to get her home today, but the vet called on his cell phone a little after noon (he was out preg testing). She had chewed out some of her stitches last night, and had to be re-sewn up. And is now wearing one of the lamp shade collars around her neck. He wants to keep her until Monday.

Monday!

I miss my masked heeler.

And since the office is closed, we didn't even get to visit today.

Am going to suggest to the wife that she "bump into" the vet's wife at mass tomorrow and mention a desire for a Sunday visit. I'm sure she's got keys.