R.I.P. Nelsoncito

When "Lil Peewee" (aka Phoebe) died last year or so...I thought I would never find her replacement. But when I got here and had the chance of getting my neighbor's puppy, I jumped at the opportunity. I was determined to name the little dog Wilson or Nelson. So I decided on "Nelsoncito" because using the name Nelson in a place like South Africa seemed sacrilege.

Nelsoncito was born in the little house behind mine here in my village and has a sister, who has thrived and gotten really fat and is super friendly and when it comes to survival of the fittest she has it! Ke itumeste (I'm happy) that she will be around, maybe I'll ask the family if I can have her instead.

Nelsoncito always had to be coaxed out of the shadows to come get his food, he was so shy and skinny. He'd easily jump through the chicken wire fenced that creates a barrier behind my house and my neighbors. After every meal I bring my bones and anything else the family has leftover to the fence and whistle for the puppies and their parents to come and get it. They all learned to not be scared of me like most dogs. It's sad, how different the attitude towards pets here is.

One day I took both puppies and said, "That's it you're getting a bath!" Everyone who was at or around the house came to watch me wash these pups as they squirmed and wiggle and expelled little yelps and howls as I scrubbed and scrubbed. Everyone laughed and pointed at me like they had never seen a dog get a bath. They probably had never seen a dog bathed. The owner later thanked me for washing the dogs and said they both came back smelly lovely.

Dogs (and any pets for that matter) in developing countries are treated differently. The dogs here are simply for watching out for the house and taking in any leftovers from dinner. They don't eat apple cores, they shy away from peanut butter, BUT if you have a BONE or any MEAT they'll guzzle it right up. I was determined to change that and make him into a good little American-Peruvian dog that would understand when I decided to talk to him in Espanol and would know that when food (any type of food) fell to the ground that he would need to gobble it right up.

But as his owners warned me: "you can have him IF he survives." Given all the cold nights and crazzzzzy thunder storms, where I've felt even shaken up. It's easy to see how a little skinny pup didn't make it through the elements where he's barely eats and gets no warm shelter inside.

So now Nelsoncito rests below us and without a doubt his spirit now stand strong up somewhere that huge dark sparkling starry starry African night sky and runs around and plays with Sugar, Henry, Homer and Peewee while they enjoy having tea and crumpets (and of course ALL the leftovers they can get).