My Baby You'll Be

So as you may all be wondering what my deal is with the whole dog theme I felt as though I owed anyone who reads my blog an explanation. Some may say "Oh she is going to be a Veterinarian so she has to love dogs, etc." As true as that may be, on the flip side I wouldn't call it an obsession for dogs because to me that term sounds rather psychotic and "hey don't come around me I'm a lunatic" like. I'd more like to call it a passion for dogs and the things that they represent in every form. It all started when I was in Clemson last year sitting in Chemistry lab and saw a flyer on the wall that these two Veterinary students had posted. It was of this adorable black lab and said "I Need A Home Too!" I know you've seen these kind of flyers before just as I had numerous occasions, but this one caught my eye in a way I've never felt before. I guess you could say it may have been different THIS time because I was actually out on my own, away from my parents, for the first time in my life DIDN'T have a pet, and felt responsible enough to make my own decisions. I had full intentions of calling these students after lab and going to pick up this black lab to take home and be my pet--with no idea how to take care of him. After lab I called and asked if they still had the black lab, where they were located, and when I could pick them up. Eagerly they informed me that it wasn't just a black lab that they found but a vast variety of dog breeds that all needed good homes. She was located in the Reserve in Central, SC (5 minutes from Clemson if that) and I could come right then. I met these girls after having Scott pick me up from the far side of campus (around Hunter) and we went to these girls apartment. When I walked in all I could hear was barking as if I were walking into a pound and a VERY nice apartment! The dogs were all blocked off into one of the spare bedrooms that they converted into a 'mini-SPCA' but only three dogs of the fourteen they found were left--none of which were a black lab. I was disappointed at the absence of the puppy in the photo but figured hey why not just take a look at these other three puppies? There was one in the corner sleeping while the two others were on top of each other...the top one very large and fuzzy and the one on the bottom very small and short-haired. I couldn't see the short-haired one very much so I walked over to the one sleeping in the corner only for the two girls to inform me that he had been adopted and they were coming right back to pick him up. I sat down on the floor near the two puppies waiting to see if they may separate and come actually meet me. The short-haired one crawled from under neath the fuzzy one, walked over, and sat in my lap...he was the cutest puppy I had ever seen in my life. I felt an immediate connection and just fell completely and totally in love with my heart melting in my lap. One of the girls was shocked and informed me that quote, "He always runs from everyone and hides in the corner under the fuzzy one...you are the ONLY person he has ever come to." I picked him up and looked into his eyes with him intently staring back at me and I couldn't explain how much I truly loved him...not to mention I knew exactly what his name was going to be--and I have no idea why. I took one look into those chocolate brown eyes and told everyone in the room that his name was Coyote and that he was now my baby.
We left, got into the car and headed to Bi-Lo to get Coyote some food, a couple of toys for puppies, and a leash and headed back to my apartment. He pooped everywhere. He whined all night long because he was lonely. My roommates hated him. I had no idea how to help or take care of him. It was one of the most eye opening experiences that I had ever been through in my life. I loved him so much I loved everything from the way he whined because we gave him his dewormer and he had to sleep in the bath-tub for the first night to get all of the worms out of his system. I loved the way when Scott got mad at him he ran to me as if I were his shelter of love and kindness. Coyote started my love affair with dogs and to this day I cannot describe to you the connection that I have with them in a way that far exceeds anyone else's connection that I personally have ever seen.
I had Coyote for some time and had to bring him home to Charleston (scared as anything) because it was my sister's wedding and I couldn't just leave him there. My parents loved him too and I was shocked. They didn't like how he completely destroyed our carpets downstairs (and had to replace them) because of the massive amount of poop but hey the love he brought us was far more than the love of our carpet. Needless to say I eventually got caught for having a dog in my apartment that was on-campus in Clemson and was ordered to give him to a new home. My mom and dad informed me that I could bring him home and they would keep him for me--words couldn't describe how thankful I was for them. I got to have my cake and eat it too!!
Coyote stayed in Charleston throughout my Spring semester and I came home numerous occasions to see him (and my family with Scott who was at Clemson with me at the time).The summer rolled around and my life completely changed. In June, Coyote was hit by a car because he was outside without a leash and a lady was going too fast in our neighborhood. He was bleeding internally and I took him into the kitchen to wrap him in a warm blanket, cuddle with him, and tell him it was all going to be okay.

Coyote died that day in mine and my mom's arms. It was so hard and I cried oceans worth for weeks and still do to this day because he was my first love and first baby boy. The nearest Veterinarian we could have taken Coyote to charges arms and legs just to get anything fixed and we knew we couldn't afford their rates. But even if we would have taken him, he would have died on the car-ride there. Looking back on it NOW I don't regret NOT taking him because he died a happier death in mine and my mom's arms than in the back seat of a speeding car. I miss him every day of my life but have dedicated my life to not only helping animals who have been hurt by vehicles, humans, other animals (fighting etc) or whatever the situation may be, but helping out those animals that live in families that may not be able to afford much what I call "animal-care." I intend to open my own low-cost Veterinary Hospital so that no family ever has to go through what we went through...having their precious babies hurt by life's cruel additions and actually thinking "I can't help him." No one should ever go through that, and when I graduate from Vet School no one ever will. If their animal is hurt, I want them to think "Dr. Williams will help me and my baby I know she will..." I just didn't realize until this summer while working at that same local Veterinary Office that Veterinarians now and days aren't in it for the animals--they are in it for the money. To me that's a load of crock. You do something not because of the money but because of what you DO. I will break the common mold and promise each and every one of you this--any animal that comes in my care will be helped regardless of the owner and his/her ability to afford care for that precious animal that God entrusted in our care. I PROMISE you this.






I'll love you forever. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.