Clarabell

Now, I have never been much of a person for dogs. With on extreme exception: Clarabell. Oh, how I loved Clarabell, she was the most wonderful most sweetest, most cutest, most precious dog ever in the world. Ever. She was. I loved Clarabell and Clarabell loved me. She loved me so much that nearly every time I picked her up she would scratch me or try to bite me. But I didn't care. I loved her. There are not many things I remember very clearly from my childhood, but she is one of them. We had a dog, Tucker. He was a nice dog, and I liked him too, but the day I saw Clarabell I fell in love. She was a little puppy shar pei with golden fur. I loved her wrinkles. She was like a life size cuddly non-sticky prune! Only it was a little tricky to cuddle with her cause she would continually scratch and nibble at my arms and legs as she tried to escape my loving arms. In-spite of her bites, I loved her so much I abandoned my beloved dolls and favorite stuffed piggys just to play with her. I found doll clothes that fit her and I would dress her up in them (she was so cute!) and I had the best little doll basket ever. It had two handles and a lining (a miniture Moses Basket), to keep the dolls comfy. I let Clarabell sit and lay in my doll basket. One day after wrestling her into a cute little dress and bonnet I set her in the basket to take her on a walk around the yard. But when I picked up the basket it popped. The handles broke. Clarabell broke my baby doll basket. She did. It's true. I was momentarily downhearted, but it didn't last long, cause I had to chase after her as she ran away in the little dress and bonnet. I just loved her so much. Oh how I loved Clarabell. I really did.

Then came the day we had to give her away. Mums and Fater told me we were really just watching her for the summer and it was time to give her back to her owners. I was devastated.

Not long after that I went with my Aunt to visit her boyfriends Dad. I was sooo excited too. It was just me, Aunt, and Boyfriend. I got to go on a special trip, just me and them. I was just so excited. The Dad had dogs at his house. And since I loved Clarabell and Tucker, I loved all dogs. I wanted to go see them. So we went. The dogs were locked up in separate barns on opposite sides of the yard. Safe, right? You would think. We went down in the yard to look in at the dogs (who were safely and securely locked up), but as we were peeping over the fence at the girl dog... the boy dog escaped. A big growling ferocious boy dog. Somehow after the boy dog got out, the girl dog found her way out too. They were running... right to where I was standing. Two angry, big, mean, barking, growling, in heat, dogs, running right to me. Terrified I froze. The natural thing to do, of course. Thankfully Boyfriend swooped me up on his shoulders right before the dog bit my leg, and ran inside the house. Unfortunately Aunt was not as lucky as me and one of the dogs bit her. We went to a clinic and had to get checked by the doctor (in case the dogs had rabies or something).

I do not like dogs. No. I am terrified of dogs. I am horrified that a dog will run up and bite me. Even years after the attack I can't stand jumping dogs, barking dogs, running dogs, big dogs, little dogs. No. No dogs. It doesn't matter if it's small, it doesn't matter if it's big. No dogs for me.