I’m a sucker.

I was driving to work Friday morning, when I stopped to take a left turn at Gillham and Rockhill. A black puppy was romping around a the top of the hill near the park, and as I came to stop, she ran up to, and then beneath, my car.

To make sure I didn’t run her over as I pulled away, I opened my car door to look underneath…

… and she jumped in.

She was very dirty, smelled terrible and was shaking from head to toe. So there I was: driving a manual car with a confused, scared puppy, trying to determine what to do. I couldn’t just toss her out of my car; it was freezing out. At the same time, I couldn’t just take her home… she was a stray. So, I did what first occurred to me:

I called 411 for the nearest vet’s office.

Turned out she had been out for a couple of days, by the vet’s estimation. They gave her a bath, trimmed her nails and wormed her. She’s delightful, and takes well to discipline.  The name that has stuck is “Shandy,” one of my favorite Guinness drinks.

This is where I found her, and here are some fun pictures:

Shandy

Yet, no matter how adorable she is, and how much I may want to keep her, I’m posting flyers later today around the area… if she does have a home that misses her, I’m going to be returning a happy, healthy puppy to them.