Bettie

Bettie at Cannon Beach

Bettie was about two years old when I adopted her from a no-kill shelter on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend in 2008. Even though I was a full grown woman and already had an actual human child, the idea of owning a dog was daunting. I wasn't sure I could do it.
She was afraid of everything, poor girl.  My understanding was that she was found wandering in Lebanon Oregon. She was too timid to be in the kennels with the other dogs, so they had her in a small pen in the reception area where it was more quiet. We were going to figure things out together. At first she was so terrified of being in the vehicle she would vomit or poop all over the place. I had to keep extra blankets in the car. I sat her in the passenger seat and fed her baby carrots until she wasn't scared anymore. In fact, Bettie would go on to spend much of her time in the car and come to find it a comforting place, like a den on wheels. She went with me to work at the lab, and to PSU where I was studying Geology. She liked to be up high to see out the window.  

She still wears her leopard skin jacket. One lady at the dog park saw her wearing it and said she looked like Liza Minella. Pictured here at the lab.
I used to dress her up a lot more than I do these days.
Elk Rock Island 2013


She's 15 now, and you can see the dementia in her eyes. She's kind of like a zombie-puppy-roomba wandering around barking impatiently and snapping into her mouth anything that gets too close. Largely operating with her lizard brain, she doesn't remember any of her special tricks anymore. 


Longview Wastewater Treatment Plant pile installation. Yes, I took her onsite at an active construction site. Often.

Bettie was trained to sit in the basket of my bike. I had to upgrade when Frida arrived.


Can you see the dog sleeping underneath the consolidometer?






Bettie has eaten a record amount of chocolate, per dog pound. I imagine her days in the street honed her feverish appetite for any thing. She ate a flat of brownies when we were on a road trip, and I looked at her and said "Well, if you die from this, you'll have died happy." She didn't die. She can eat a lot of chocolate, but believe it or not, I don't just let her. 
As is common with the breed, Bettie suffered a herniated disk in 2015 and it was possible that if she didn't recover, she would have permanent paralysis. Well, she healed. She is still throwing herself wildly down the stairs before I can stop her, even as recently as today. There's no stopping Bettie from going home and getting treats.

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