Celebrating our area's four-legged, feathered and finned friends

By Kelsie Gray

September 26, 2011

Cleo

Cleo doesn’t hog the covers on her master’s bed, and she doesn’t have a favorite stuffed toy. She doesn’t have a favorite brand of kibble, and she doesn’t sneak licks of your ice cream cone when you’re not looking. Cleo is not a dog who has galoshes to match her raincoat or even a collar with a heart-shaped nametag. In fact, up until a month ago, Cleo knew nothing other than the four foot tangle of logging chain and rope anchored to the scrubby oak tree she called home. At night, she slept in a chewed up plastic doghouse, though she couldn’t always reach it. When it was hot, she waited for someone to come put water in the old stock pot that was her bowl. Sometimes, she waited all day. The flies chewed her soft silken ears until they were raw and bloody. The fleas crawled over her visible ribcage and spine by the hundreds. When her owners happened to come out and feed or water her, she would keen in a quavering, gut-wrenching cry for hours after they retreated back into the comfort of their living room.

It was this cry that pushed my last button. Within a couple of weeks of deciding I had to do something, Cleo’s owners agreed to relinquish her into the care of a foster home who would begin rehabilitating her. Like so many other chained and penned dogs in Paducah, Cleo was little more than another possession for her owners. Most lawn mowers are treated better than these creatures, and as a result, so many of them have been broken, both physically and emotionally.  Cleo was lucky—she kept her spirit. Through all of this, she still offered a vigorously wagging tail and sloppy kisses when I snuck into the neighbor’s yard to give her treats and fresh water. Unchained and in foster care, Cleo has blossomed, but she needs a home of her own.

So who is Cleo? She’s a three year old pit bull who is fully vetted, vaccinated, and has tested heartworm negative (thanks to the generous donations of several people). Beyond that, she is a dog who has so much happiness and energy to share.  She loves to ride in the car and will stay right with you in the yard (no chain needed!). She has some basic obedience under her collar, and is eager to learn more.  She is housebroken and belongs inside, with her family.  Cleo gets along well with larger dogs, but cannot be in a household with small dogs or cats, as she thinks they are toys for her to play with. She adores women, and would make a fantastic companion for a single gal or a young couple.  She would love to go camping, hiking, or road-tripping. She would probably also like to sleep on your feet while you watch back-to-back episodes of Real Housewives.  In short, Cleo would be thrilled to fulfill the position of an all-around devoted protector and companion. Once you meet her, you can’t help but adore her. If dogs could smile (and I think we can all agree that they DO smile), Cleo is ear-to-ear grinning in most of her waking moments.

Cleo doesn’t hog the covers on her master’s bed, but she would love to. She doesn’t have a favorite stuffed toy, but she needs one. She doesn’t sneak licks of your ice cream cone when you’re not looking, but I’m pretty sure she’d like to. The heart-shaped nametag is optional. Letting Cleo steal your heart completely and thoroughly, is not.

If you would like to meet Miss Cleo, please contact me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or via phone at 502.345.7191.