Mac (Tom T) and Cass

Tom Thayer –  One day a little girl spotted a puppy wandering along an isolated stretch of highway near Thrall, Texas. The girl asked her grandma to stop the car to pick up the pup, since temperatures would be freezing that night. The girl’s mother sent an email plea to the universe, requesting rescue since she didn’t want to take the pup to a shelter.

I read and forwarded the email plea to friends. No one offered to take the pup. Curious, I emailed the woman, asking details about the pup. The woman couldn’t give me breed information, just that it was male, the size of a cat and spotted grey. I asked if she could transport the unidentified puppy to me. 

That night, a woman arrived at my gate and unloaded a tiny cat carrier. Inside the carrier was a gorgeous, carsick 10-week old Blue Heeler puppy. He exited the crate drunkenly and wagged his tail as he promptly ran to me. The pup had striking coloration—a soft light grey coat and tall dark grey socks on all of his legs. He was healthy and in good shape. I had fears of the pup being a sick, grey pitbull (always difficult to adopt).

We named him Tom Thayer, a name reminiscent of Thrall, where the pup was found. The puppy was delightful, attractive and good-natured. He liked to cuddle with my big malamute mix, Dasher, on their favorite cedar bed. 

 

Heelers aren't a dog for everyone. The breed is extremely smart, athletic and persistent. But people who like the the breed really like it, and we had a prospect in mind. A friend named "Spring" adopted a red heeler from us two years ago. We thought Thayer might be a good addition to Spring's family and she agreed. We packed Thayer's overnight bag and traveled to Spring's home, where Cass, our former heeler, greeted us excitedly at the door. Spring adopted Thayer and renamed him “Mac.”