Jane Paley - Hooper Finds a Family: A Hurricane Katrina Dogs Survival Tale

HOOPER FINDS A FAMILY

A Hurricane Katrina Dogs
Survival Tale

By Jane Paley

For my boys

Contents

Chapter 1
Lake Charles

I smell salmon.

I bet Mammas giving me some of last nights Sunday supper leftovers! I cant help myself; I have to scratch at the screen door so shell hurry.

Hold up, Jimmy. I have to get Georges egg plate first.

I know, but Im a puppy. Its hard for me to sit still when foods on the way. I press my face against the screen and drool into the little square holes.

Its about seven in the morningthats when George has his egg plate and coffee. In a few minutes hell be done eating. Then the door will squeak open and slam shut and hell come out with my meal. While I have breakfast hell sit in the metal rocker and smoke a cigar, because Mamma doesnt let him smoke in the house.

Here he comes.

Morning, Jimmy. I got you some salmon today.

See? I knew it!

George and Mamma are my family. Im their dog, Jimmy. We live in Lake Charles, Louisiana, not far from New Orleans. Ive never been to New Orleans. Actually, Ive never been out of our yard (well, except to go to the vet), but I heard George talk about New Orleans one time with Mamma. He had a job over there for a rich lady in a big house. George mows lawns and plants flowers and bushes for people with fancy gardens.

Every morning before the sun comes up, he waits on the porch for a truck to come and pick him up. Thats when he gives me my breakfast. I never know what its going to be. Sometimes its corn and kibble with some bacon grease. Other times its chicken, kibble, and carrots with a little egg from his plate. But whatever it is, its always good.

Today its salmon with greens and carrots, my second favorite. (I like roast beef the best and I always get the bone, which keeps me happy for a whole day.) Usually Im gobbling up the last bites when a big truck rumbles up to the front gate. George always gives me a scratch and says, You have a good day, hear? before he heads off to work.

But today is different. Theres no big truck. Hes not going to work.

Mamma comes out and gives me a big bowl of ice cubes to chew on. I cant figure out how ice starts out crunchy and after a while turns into nice cold water. But Im glad it does because I love to chew it. I crunch up little bits at a time so my teeth wont hurt. Then I slurp up the chilled water and I lick the bowl while its still cold.

I trot around the front yard, checking out the smells the night critters have left behind. Birds leave bits of food, feathers, and droppings on top of the lawn. Squirrels bury stuff. They think that my yard belongs to them. I dont trust those squirrels. Theyre sneaky. Any chance I get, I dig up something a squirrel has buried. The mice are not as bad, but they like to meet up under the porch, a space that also belongs to me. At least they have the sense to be afraid; the squirrels look right at me and dare me to chase them. Like that one. Right there.

Get lost, Bozo!

Nothing. Hes twitching and scratching his ear. I crouch down low and stalk him. When I get close enough, he gets the message.

Ha! See that? He blinked and scurried up the old maple tree. I would have run him down, but its too hot today.

When it cools off, Ill chase him right up to our neighbors fence. That will annoy Kissy, the small white terrier next door. We are not friends. She barks for no reason. I bark when I have something to say, but not just for the sake of making noise. And her voice is not pleasant; its kind of a high-pitched yap. Sometimes I bark over the fence and tell her to hush up, but it doesnt do a bit of good.

The front lawn is small, with a chain-link fence around it, so I never get very far from the house. The gate in the front is latched. But I can see the sights through the fence. I like to look at the neighbors porches, where they play cards or watch the television or sit on their swings and listen to music, but today everythings different. Everyone seems to be leaving.

Mamma and George come out on the porch with two suitcases. Where are we going? Ive never been anywhere before.

I get so excited I stumble over my big paws and then, whoops! I flop over. I bang my head on one of the legs of Georges rocking chair. Ouch!

Oh, Jimmy, says Mamma. You just havent grown into those feet yet, have you?

Huh? My feet are right there, on the ends of my legs, like always.

I dont like leaving him, Mamma says, looking down at me.

Leaving me?

We cant take him to your sisters, George says. You know how she is about dogs. Ill drop you off, and Ill come back and take him out to Jacobs farm. Hell be fine. Few drops of rain never hurt a dog yet.

A few drops of rain! Mamma snorts. Man on the TV said the levees might break.

Now, Mamma, quit worrying. Ill come right back for him.

I rush past them and sit by the gate, and whine a little to tell them to take me along. Ill be good. Take me, please.

Mamma sighs. She stops and pats me. Then she tells George to wait and runs inside. When she comes back, shes holding a nice beef marrow bone.

She gives it to me, and Im so happy chewing I dont even watch Mamma and George get into the truck and drive away.

Its so hot that I have to take the bone into my hole in the front yard to keep cool. Ive dug several holes, but this one is my favorite. I can see into the kitchen window if I look one way and keep an eye on the front gate if I look the other.

I gnaw on my new bone and think about burying it, but it tastes too good. I dont notice at first, but its starting to sprinkle and it makes the yard steamy. I take my bone on the porch and crawl under a chair and go back to chewing. The thing about a big beef bone is that it lasts and lasts.

Now the rain is coming down harder. The ground is getting wet and cool. The dust in the air is clearing. I come out and roll around in the damp grass to give myself a back rub. Then I roll back over and nibble some of the wet grass. Im not thirsty anymore .

The wind is picking up, and the sun has disappeared into the gray sky. This is perfect nap weather. I curl up with my bone between my paws. Ill work on it some more after a snooze.

Chapter 2
The Storm

Its hard to settle down and sleep. The rain keeps coming. And coming.

There goes Kissy again, yapping. Shes begging to go inside, so her fur wont get wet. I dont understand girls.

I can hear the poink poink of the raindrops on the rain spout. The noise gets louder as the drops get bigger. I dont hear any more yapping; I guess Kissys gone inside.

The drops are getting harder and the sky is dark. It sure is getting windy! Id better move. Oops. Wait! Ill take my bone with me and it will keep me busy until the rain stops.

I head over to my special spot under the porch. Theres a cracked board right where Mamma sits, and sometimes I sniff and tickle her toes from underneath. Now there are no toes to tickle, but never mind, its nice and dry here.

But the rain starts leaking under the porch. This is not the best place to stay out of the rain after all. George said he was coming back for me. Where is he? He cant be out working on gardens in this weather. Im whining, which I dont normally do, but nobodys around to hear me.

Theres a puddle filling my spot under the porch, so I move up the steps and sit by the front door. Its getting windier! I think about watching the rain from inside the house because its blowing too hard to sit outside. The shutters are clacking against the walls. Mamma left a window open and I can see the bottom of the red and white curtains blowing in and out. Suddenly, the screen door flies open and slams shut. Bang!