Sometimes life throws you a curve-ball

Max, September 2017

About nine months ago, we adopted an adorable black and white part-terrier part-whatever dog, because he looked like a cousin to our almost-famous Sparky, plus the new guy desperately needed a home.

He was known in his neighbourhood as Max, although I think he should be called Hoover because the dog enjoys his food. He had been living rough for five years, sleeping in the street until someone accidentally ran over him in January of 2017.

Max - January 2017

Dr. Delfino Guevara and his dedicated crew at Clinica Veterinaria de Isla Mujeres patched him up, and Eileen Regn of H.A.L.O. (Helping Animals Living Overseas) found him a caring, but temporary, foster home on the island with fellow Canadian Sylvie Staines. Then, when Sylvie returned to Canada in May, Eileen began actively looking for a new fur-ever home for Max. We said, "Sure, we’ll take him."

He’s a very affectionate little guy. He worships Lawrie as the first man who ever treated him kindly, and Lawrie loves him.

Lawrie and the boys! Sparky and Max

But in January of this year, my sweetie, Lawrie, was diagnosed with a debilitating neurological disease. The left side of his body doesn’t get the messages from his brain as quickly as the right side does. It creates serious stability and mobility issues for him.

Max likes to run and greet Lawrie with his paws on his knees, or to spin in happy circles. It’s just too risky for Lawrie to have so much activity while he is trying to move around in the house. 

From existing on the street for five years to living inside a house, Max has progressed well in the nine months that he has been with us. The funny thing about street dogs is that, besides not knowing how to behave inside a house, they don’t know how to play. We have taught Maxie to play fetch with a tennis ball, and he enjoys it. He swims in the oceans, runs up and down the beach, and fetches anything he can, including discarded plastic bottles and other bits of ocean junk.

Max - learning to swim

He is housebroken, which he wasn’t, but he will have to adjust to your schedule. We are early risers, and the boys zip out for a quick pee before we have our morning coffee, then we do a longer walk before breakfast, later a short afternoon respite for them and a writing break for me, and finally a quick pee before bed. Once he settles into the new routine, you will find that he is quite capable of ‘holding it’ for quite a few hours. He just needs to know what to expect from his new family. If you have a fenced yard, well, that would be doggy heaven for him!

Sparky and Max in our carito de golf

Maxie is still a little timid with new people until he gets to know them better. Having said that, we have recently had eight men working in our casa on Isla Mujeres for two weeks, creating a main floor bedroom and bathroom for us to accommodate Lawrie’s reduced mobility. Max has been totally calm and accepting of the guys coming and going all day.

The first time I tried to put a harness on Max, he was very nervous, but now he knows that it means he is going out for a walk or a ride, and he is happy to cooperate. He walks very well with a leash and harness, better than Sparky, who likes to pull me where he thinks we should go. The biggest difference that we notice between the two male dogs is, Sparky will add his ‘mark’ at least thirty or forty times on a pee-walk, while Max usually has a huge pee and just gets it done! The look of pure relief on his face is comical.

 

Max on left - Sparky on right. 

Max had to figure out how to climb or descend stairs, which were a big mystery to him. Learning to get into a golf cart or a car was another new experience, and going for a ride has become one of his favourite activities. He will play fetch for hours with a tennis ball. I say, “Ready?” Then toss the ball, and he will bring it back. “Drop the ball.” I pat him, and he’ll do it again, and again. When he’s had enough running, he will keep the ball and carry it back to the golf cart.

 

Sparky and Max unsure about the renovations

He enjoys his big comfy bed and his toys, which would go with him. He still carries his very first toy that Sylvie gave him a year ago. The blue and grey elephant is dog-eared and dirty; repeated washings are unable to remove his loving slobber. It’s his favourite. I have to check his mouth before we go out for a walk, otherwise the elephant might be dropped and forgotten when an interesting bird or crab claims his attention.

Max greeting Lawrie at ferry

As for kitties, we had a black feral cat, E.B., who tried to move in about the same time that we adopted Max, but she decided that the rules were not to her liking and moved on. In the meantime, she frequently clawed Maxie in his delicate nose as she was passing by, so he has a healthy respect for cats, especially black cats. He hasn’t been a barker, but he likes to play-growl when excited. 

He needs someone kind and patient, and he will return your love a hundredfold. Giving him up is a heart-wrenching, but unavoidable decision for us.

Max is one of the characters in my next novel, Book #3 Tormenta Isla, as a dog rescued after the hurricane that hits the island. So, he'll be a semi-famous pooch that someone can brag about to their friends. ​I will include a couple of complimentary paperback copies of his novel for his new family.

Max, a cameo appearance in #3

We have asked our friends at Isla Animals and H.A.L.O. to help us find him a new home as soon as possible, as Lawrie’s condition is changing daily. Both of the animal rescue societies have the experience to get him to you, with the proper health certificates, anywhere in Canada or the USA. He has to be out of Mexico before the airline heat-embargo deadline in late April or early May. After that, pets aren’t allowed in the cargo hold until later in the fall.

We would really prefer it if Max could be re-homed off the island, as we don’t want him trying to find his way back to our house, but that condition is very negotiable. 

We’ll do anything to find Max a happy place to love and be loved.

If you are looking for a devoted pet who yearns to be your very best friend, let’s talk as soon as possible. Life tossed us a curveball, and we have to whack it back.

​

Hasta Luego

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Max

 ~

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Yasmin and Jessica are back, and the gold they found in Treasure Isla is still haunting them, especially when Carlos, their boss at the Loco Lobo, and Yasmin’s new lover, is kidnapped. No spoilers here, but his captivity and the girls’ efforts to free him, with the help of Carlos’s pals—including local Isla Mujeres fishermen and a Mexico City cop—are the crux of this fast-paced story. Lock has created not only a compelling and authentic setting but a well-developed ensemble cast. The next Isla mystery can’t come fast enough.

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By CA reviews on September 26, 2017

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