Delgado's Story

The Pregnancy

A week after we said we would, we tried for pups. It was a sunny Monday afternoon, and we tried for pups. I found out later that we had achieved our goal. I knew that most of my pups would carry on my lineage and become excellent service dogs, as I'm a perfect candidate.
The next week, Dixie began to act strange. She was lethargic, had no true desire to get up and move around, and seemed to be in pain whenever she walked. This wasn't suppose to happen and it definitely wasn't normal. Alex called the vet right away and they urgently said to bring her in immediately. I ran to the chair my vest was on and I grabbed it in my teeth as Alex ran out the door. I nudged him, and I was also carrying the leash I had grabbed that Alex forgot in his dramatic scene to get her in the truck. Dixie was limping and I walked over to her, my working dog vest still dangling from my teeth. I knew I wouldn't be allowed in there without my vest, especially if we went to a store. I asked worriedly, fighting back tears, "Ya ok, darlin?" She said through gritted teeth, "No, I'm not. I can't hardly walk and I'm in a lot of pain." I reassured her, "We're taking you to the hospital right now. They'll find out what's up." All she did was smile halfway, somewhat excited about being helped.
Once Dixie was loaded up, I nudged Alex's leg with my paw, scratching at it, trying to get his attention. He looked down to see what was wrong, and saw me holding my vest. He said, "Sorry, I forgot about it," he took it from my teeth and securely placed it on my body. We then got on the road. I rode in the back of the cab with Dixie. Alex drove faster than he normally does, because this technically was an emergency.
Thirty minutes later, we pulled up into the veterinarian hospitals driveway. Alex practically fell out the truck he got out so quick, forgetting how high off the ground the truck was. I, however, carefully got out when Alex had helped Dixie down. Alex grabbed the leash I had given him earlier, and clipped it onto Dixie's collar. Normally, she wouldn't wear one, but he didn't have a clue what'd she'd do if the vet touched her stomach. So, he made absolutely sure he could control her if she got out of hand.
We all walked through the door, I got the usual "Why the hells a service dog in here?" looks. I simply ignored all the eyes on me and focused my whole attention on Alex. He was too busy guiding Dixie toward the counter to get her appointment. When Alex had called earlier, the veterinary secretary said they'd leave a spot open for her.