By Mary Gaudet-Wilson

Felicity Sidwell had decided once and for all that she would have no more dogs.

They are a responsibility, of course, and there is the pain when you lose one. She also had decided that she most probably would not like the fluffy black dog named Ebony, whose picture she had seen in The Newtown Bee, when she went to see her at the Newtown Pound. However, it seems that people who love animals cannot be denied and it was love at first sight when Ebony rolled over and looked Felicity in the eyes.

So much for plans. They can, after all, be changed.

An adoption was in the works and Ebony was ready for a new home. What a time she had had. She came to the pound in July of 2004, was checked by the vet and given her shots. No one knew she was pregnant until her increasing girth gave away her secret. By September she had given birth to a wriggling and demanding puppy. The stress of motherhood combined with the stress of being in a strange location with all its associated noises, smells and confinement was not easy. Ebony lost strength and her hair thinned to the point where her tail looked like a possum’s tail. Pound personnel and volunteers did their best to comfort her and give her the attention she needed. But what she needed was a home.

And what a good home she got! Ebony gets lots of love and reassurance and she has responded beautifully. She now bounds about the property, going for long walks with Felicity every day. Felicity’s husband, Martin, adores Ebony and gets down on the floor to play with her. Her hair has come back in and her tail is so full and fluffy it now resembles a raccoon’s tail. She welcomes visitors and obviously loves her new life.

And her new life sometimes includes traveling adventures. Felicity is a professional artist and wanted to return to Montana to paint the western scene, so this past summer Ebony and Felicity got into the camper and drove to Billings. Along the way Ebony swam in the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers and romped in the mountains.

A far cry from her life just a year ago.

“Yes, it’s been a year, but,” Felicity says, “it’s like she’s always been here.”

      

Mary Gaudet-Wilson is a member of Canine Advocates of Newtown, a group which supports the dogs at the Newtown Pound, paying for their neutering and shots and also providing socialization through daily walks.