How Luckie acquired her name.

After signing adoption papers and paying fees, our dog was whisked off to a veterinarian of our choice for spaying. At this point her name was Altena, which neither of us liked.

Later I called to buy usual supplies like flea/tick and heartworm medications. The clinic informed me she had to have a heartworm test first, which I okayed without much thought.

When we arrived to carry her home we were ushered into an exam room and informed Altena/Luckie had full blown heartworm disease by the head veterinarian and member of the local Humane Society. He described in glowing terms treatment options and successes. All we could think about was euthanizing another dog soon after adoption.

At this point the dog still belonged to the Humane Society until we left with her from the veterinary clinic.

We have several Humane Society friends. One told us Altena would probably be euthanized if we refused her.

For three days our hearts were tugged back and forth between calls from the persuasive, optimistic veterinarian and advice from the Humane Society kennel master who described the treatment similar to chemotherapy. Meanwhile the veterinarian boarded the dog free. We thought we had finally, somewhat tearfully, made the decision to refuse the dog.

Then we received yet another call from the veterinarian five minutes before the Humane Society was to arrive, that if we accepted the dog, he would donate the shots and accumulated boarding. [After several conversations with us, he knew he would regain his investment many times over.] Pleading with us that this was such a sweet dog, going to a loving, "forever" home, he guaranteed 95% chance of cure.

I asked the facility if they would hold her one more day, and they agreed. My husband was not immediately available to consult. The finale is we took her. She deserved a better fate after so much suffering.

She survived the heartworm treatment, despite not resting as she should. She jumped out of a small pen we built to temporarily confine her exercise and allow for her personal hygiene chores. She was housebroken.

In a short period of time:

• she scaped euthanasia
• survived spaying surgery
• survived heartworm treatment, despite her rejecting all efforts to confine her activities (she chased chipmunks and squirrels full speed ahead during convalescence- we gave up trying to confine her)
• survived devouring a package of diet chocolate candy containing chocolate and artificial sweeteners - both can be deadly to dogs.
  
  When it seemed there was an interlude between crises, we drew a deep breath, and I told my husband, to give her a new name. He chose Lucky; I chose the spelling which I wished later I had chosen Lucki. Somehow it was an easy conversion; she responded immediately to her new name.

Later we discovered she is also epileptic and well controlled with the lowest dose medication. No known cause of seizures has yet been diagnosed. Maybe she is a tad like the cat--has nine lives.

We think she has the most appropriate name, considering the bleak, dire future she once faced. Her fate was entirely in our hands; it was "yes" or "no." She is LUCKIE we chose YES! And we made the lucky "yes" choice, too.

Next: Luckie takes over the house from Day 1.