Mollie's Tail: To Mollie With Love

By Ellen Gilman

Ellen, Sherry in the book, first met Mollie, a healthy, four-year old sheltie, at the request of her veterinarian. Mollie's owners scheduled her to be euthanized because she wouldn't obey their commands. The vet horrified by their request decided to find Mollie a new home. She knew Ellen loved shelties and hoped her family would adopt Mollie.
When Ellen first brought Mollie home her family was shocked by her behavior. She hid and cowered in fear of them. Over time they would figure out that Mollie had been badly abused causing her fear of humans.
Ellen wondered if Mollie would ever recover, but in time with much patience and understanding she became a beloved family member who was deeply cherished until her death.
A great story especially for those who want to rescue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781543969078

Ellen Gilman

Ellen Gilman is a graduate of the University of Maryland where she earned her degree in Early Childhood Education. She taught kindergarten for four years before retiring to raise her two boys. She returned to the workforce once her kids were in school and enjoyed a ten year stint at Saks Fifth Avenue until the store closed. Her next job was assisting her husband in their family's building supply business, and with her free time she began her writing career with Mollie's Tail a tribute to an amazing sheltie the family rescued. Rescued is a follow-up to Mollie's Tail. Since Mollie's Tail Ellen has written a series of three contemporary fiction novels that take place in a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The last one Mutts Murder and Mayhem, a cozy mystery, was published in October 2023. Rescued, her newest novella, is a follow-up to Mollie's Tail. It is a heartwarming personal story of the six shelties her family rescued over many years starting with Mollie. Ellen resides in Owings Mills Maryland with her husband, one sheltie, and two rough collies. You can find her at Starbucks writing her next novel. Please visit her on Facebook or check out her website www.ellengilman.com

Book preview

PROLOGUE

THE YEAR OF MY GRAND CHRISTMAS SCHEME

HI! MY NAME IS SHERRY. I am seven years old. I live on Shakespeare Road in a stone house. It is a large house. It has lots of windows. I like my house. It has a big tree in the front yard that I like to climb sometimes.

I live with my mother and my father. I have a big sister, Betty. I also have a big brother, Billy. I have no DOG! That is bad! I am a happy little girl with big green eyes and white blond hair. I am in second grade. I want to tell you my story. If you like animals you should keep reading. For me animals are the best. I love them!

I have been asking for a puppy of my very own. My neighbors have a dog. His name is Tippy. He is a little black and white dog. I like Tippy, and he likes me. He has one lopsided ear and a black ring around his left eye. I play with Tippy all the time. I want Tippy to sleep in my bed. I want Tippy curled up next to me. The neighbors said I couldn’t have Tippy. I NEED a puppy of my own. I have begged my dad. (I know my mother will not get me one.) He has said NO.

I am a smart little girl. I thought, and I thought some more and I have a BIG PLAN. It will get me my puppy!

It’s a few weeks before Christmas. I sit on my bed to write my list for Santa Claus. I am using a big piece of paper and a blue crayon. My mother does not allow me to play on my bed. I might mess up my pink, frilly bedspread. Yuck! I am sitting here because no one is watching me. This letter is a big secret. It is very important! Not any old crayon will do. It has to be blue. Blue is my favorite color. It has to be brand new. New crayons have a good point for writing. This letter will get me a DOG!

Every year my mother helps me make a list for Santa Claus. This year, I will write it for myself. She will not write dog on it. She does not want me to have a dog. Every Christmas, Santa Claus gets me everything I put on my list. I like coloring books and crayons. I like books I can read on my own. This year I will ask for only one thing. The ONE BIG THING I will ask for is a DOG! It is a good plan. I WILL get my dog.

Dear Santa Claus,

I am a good girl all year. Please get me ONE puppy dog. Any kind will be good. I do not want any crayons this year. All I want is one dog!

Love, Sherry

I finish my letter with only one slight disaster. My blue crayon broke, and some of it got smooched into my bedspread. I had to substitute with a turquoise one. I’ll get in big trouble when my mom sees the mess, but I don’t care! Once the job is done, I run to tell my older brother Billy (I love my big brother) about it, and he mails it to Santa. Impatiently, I will wait and wait these few long weeks until Christmas finally arrives.

I don’t want to think about it or really mention it here, but there might be one problem with MY BIG PLAN. Some of the kids in the neighborhood have told me there is no such person as Santa Claus. They told me Santa Claus is really my parents, and they buy us the gifts that are under the Christmas tree. If they are correct, I will never get my dog! Even at seven I figure it is better to think I am right.

*    *    *

At long last it was the night before Christmas, and I would soon find out if my plan worked. I got into bed, cuddling my favorite stuffed animal, a black-and-white cow that I cleverly named Cow-cow. I tried to fall asleep so the morning would come faster, but all I did was toss and turn. I kept hoping that the next day I would wake up to find my beloved puppy under the Christmas tree. I imagined all kind of puppies from really small to really big. Some were black, some light brown. They were all furry, because my favorite dogs are all furry. Just as I was drifting off, I had pretty much convinced myself that I would find a wicker basket with a blue blanket and a little furry puppy inside when I woke up in the morning.

Eventually, the sun came up and it was Christmas morning. My parents didn’t see me as I snuck out of my bedroom. I didn’t even bother to brush my teeth or comb my hair. I raced downstairs and looked all around the living room. My brother, Billy, was already there. He was sitting on the sofa next to an enormous Christmas tree with sparkling multicolored lights. Surrounding Billy were brightly wrapped presents. I looked all around and around some more. Uh oh, I didn’t see a puppy anywhere. I could barely get the words out. Billy, where is my puppy? I don’t see one anywhere. Did you hide it from me to be mean?

My much older, smarter brother shrugged and pointed to the wall next to the stairs. Look, Sherry, someone hung a blackboard on it with a note.

I am so sorry, but by the time I arrived at your house, I ran out of dogs.

Santa Claus

I started to cry and stamp my feet in frustration. I mumbled, I just can’t believe it! How could this happen? Santa always gets me everything I want! How could he let me down when this was the only thing I asked him to get me?

I sat down next to Billy and sadly said, "If Santa only ran out of dogs, why couldn’t he promise to bring me a dog in a few weeks? I’ll never get to have a dog if it’s up to Mommy and Daddy. They keep saying no every time I ask them. Santa was my only chance! Now even he’s not getting me a puppy!"

My parents came into the living room and heard me whining to Billy. My father looked at me and said, I understand why you are upset, but I guess Santa thought you’d be happy to get all those dog books I see under the tree.

Billy added, Yeah, Sherry, those books look like they’re about dogs just like Lassie. I’ll bet Santa knew how much you love the Lassie TV show. I know you’ll enjoy reading them. Billy would want to encourage me to read these books, as he loved to read. Why don’t you take a look at them?

I knew Billy was trying his best to cheer me up, and even though I loved to read, right now I wasn’t curious about the dog books under our Christmas tree. I watched as everyone opened their presents. I wasn’t really interested. It seemed like forever, but finally we were done opening our gifts and our stockings.

I left the room and went back upstairs to my bedroom. I lay down on my bed with Cow-cow. I could cuddle up with Cow-cow and talk to him in secret. I told him about the blackboard and the note on it. I told him that I had a feeling the neighborhood kids were right that there was no Santa. It was my mother or father who wrote the message on the blackboard. That meant no dog for me. I cried a lot. I was very sad!

I did want to ask Billy if Santa Claus was real, but I wasn’t sure he would tell me the truth. It didn’t matter. My plan did not work. I still had no dog. I spent most of the day in my bedroom. I didn’t even want to look at the dog books. We had a bunch of company in and out of our house, so I never got time to ask Billy about Santa. My only thought as I lay in bed that night was someday, somehow, I would get me a dog!

TEN YEARS LATER

I am seventeen years old, and I want to update you on my dog-less existence. Unfortunately, I never did get a dog. My parents never changed their minds, but I wouldn’t give up on my dream. As a child, I continued to read any books about dogs that I could get my hands on. Ironically, my favorite books were the books about collies that I had received for Christmas the year I was seven. The author, Albert Payson Terhune, wrote a whole series of books about his beloved collies. After reading so much about them, I decided that a collie was definitely the dog for me. That thought stayed in my mind until this year. I was visiting a friend, and we went for a walk in her neighborhood. It was summertime and we decided to walk to the nearby drugstore to get snowballs. As we rounded the corner to the drugstore, a man was walking a dog that looked to me like a baby collie. I ran from my friend’s side toward the man and asked if I could pet his puppy. That’s when he told me that it wasn’t a puppy at all. He told me it was a sheltie. He explained that the full name of the breed is a Shetland sheepdog, but people often refer to them as shelties or even miniature collies. It was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen. Its fur was lustrous and it had beautiful dark brown eyes and the coloring of Lassie. It was the perfect dog! In that instant I knew that someday, somehow I would own a sheltie.

P.S. Eventually, my beloved brother Billy admitted it was he who wrote the note on the blackboard saying Santa ran out of dogs. To this day it is difficult to accept that he was in on the scam!

CHAPTER ONE

FAST-FORWARD SEVENTEEN YEARS:

THE UNEXPECTED CALL

APRIL 1986. Sitting in our den, I was thinking of the old saying I learned as a child: April showers bring May flowers. Well, if that was true, we should have lots of flowers this spring. It was pouring outside. I could hear the rain hitting the roof while I lounged on the sofa in our small den. I was getting ready to watch my favorite Wednesday night comedy show. To my right there was a large window, and through it I could see streaks of rain running down the glass. I heard the wind blowing, and I knew if I were able to see outside, I would see the raindrops landing on the budding trees before they fell to the ground. There was a chill in the air, and inside our house it felt damp and cold. I laid our plaid blanket over my legs, grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV.

I watched Henry, carrying his usual mug filled with coffee, walk past me to enter his small cubbyhole of a room that he called his office. Calling this space an office was a little overstated since it actually looked more like a large walkin closet without a door. Actually, what saved it from looking exactly like a closet was that it had a window in it.

Figuring that Henry was going to be doing some paperwork and not wanting to disturb him, I turned down the volume on the TV. I guess he heard the change in volume because he asked, "Sherry, isn’t it time for The Cosby Show?"

Yes, it’s starting in just a minute. Are you going to watch it with me?

No, he answered, I want to get some work done. I might watch the news later.

In the meantime Mister, our dog, came over to me and poked his head against my hand. Knowing this meant he wanted to be picked up, I lifted him up and wrapped the blanket over both of us. He curled up next to me with only his head peeking out from under the blanket. He was old and probably feeling the chill in the air. I figured he would enjoy the warmth the cover provided.

I was just getting comfortable when the telephone rang. I picked it up on the second ring and said, Hello.

Hi, Sherry. Immediately, I recognized my vet’s high-pitched, squeaky voice when she said, I have something kind of important that I want to talk to you about. Is now a good time?

Sure. I’m watching one of my favorite shows, but a commercial’s on now, I said cautiously as I wondered what my crazy vet wanted with me.

Laura continued. Yesterday, a couple brought in their four-year-old sheltie. They left her here with me. They told me they’re fed up with her because she won’t listen to them. They want me to put her to sleep. In my mind, I could picture Laura’s face as she heard what these people had to say to her. I’ve been their vet since the dog was a puppy, and I’ve tried to help them train her, but they’ve given up. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this dog, whose name is Mollie by the way, so I made up my mind there’s no way I can put her to sleep. I have to find her a home!

For a moment I sat speechless. Laura, you’ve got to be kidding! That’s TERRIBLE! What kind of person would do that?

Laura diplomatically answered, That’s a really good question. I don’t know them all that well. I only see them a few times a year. Honestly, I believe this problem they have with Mollie is entirely their fault. They don’t have a clue about how to take care of her or how to train her. Of course, I didn’t say anything to them about not honoring their request—they would be angry with me—but I’ve been thinking about how to solve Mollie’s problem. The last thing I want to do is put her to sleep. She paused briefly before saying, I’m hoping to find someone willing to adopt her so I don’t have to follow through on their wishes.

Already, I had a good sense of where this conversation was going, and I certainly understood now why I was the recipient of this phone call. I figured I should just let Laura continue talking.

I know you always enjoyed having two shelties before. Now that you have only one, I thought of you right away. Would you be interested in giving this poor dog a home?

My mind started whirling. Did I or did I not want another dog?

Laura continued. Quite honestly, I really was unable to think of anyone else who might be interested in taking her. That’s why I was sort of counting on you to help me and the dog.

Laura, I replied, you have caught me totally by surprise! Give me a minute to think about this. I glanced over at Henry to see if he was listening to my conversation. I thought I knew what he would want me to say, but what did I want? If only I could put her off for a few days so that I had time to think this through and talk with him. No, that probably wasn’t a good idea either, so after a moment’s thought, I explained to Laura, You’re right. I loved having two dogs. It’s just that your timing is lousy. I just accepted a job offer. I’ll be the manager of the kids and maternity department at a new department store that’s opening up this summer. I’ve been told I’ll be working lots of crazy hours. I’m not sure that getting another dog right now is the right thing to do. The words coming from my mouth were one thing. My heart was telling me something very different.

There was complete silence on the other end of the phone. Knowing Laura, she was devastated by my negative response. She never would have thought I’d say no. She’d known me since elementary school and knew how much I loved animals, especially dogs. She also knew my parents never let me have a dog. As it was, she had a whole menagerie of animals she claimed as her own. At last count I think she had at least seven birds, four cats, three dogs, and one guinea pig. She adopted them all because someone no longer wanted them.

Lost in the silence, I swallowed hard and hesitantly said, "Laura, I know, I know! You’re really disappointed! You were counting on me to say yes, but I

just can’t do this right now!"

Laura had been my vet since we got our second dog. I thought she was a great veterinarian. She was so bright and totally eccentric—a word I thought that described her perfectly. I’ll never forget one of the times I brought Mister in to see her. She had her own Doberman in the office and was trying to convince me that he was gentle despite his appearance. In an attempt to prove her point, she pried his jaws open and stuck her entire head into his mouth. Needless to say, I was spellbound by her demonstration. I laughed at her, but that’s when I was convinced that she had turned into a strange adult. She even looked a little odd. Her appearance was similar to Morticia from The Addams Family television show. She had straight black hair that looked like it hadn’t been cut for years. It was halfway down her back and appeared even longer on her petite frame. Her milky white skin emphasized her huge brown eyes. Even the way she dressed was unusual. It was as if she purchased clothes from another era to wear. Long skirts that swallowed her up and did little to show off her petite frame were her everyday attire. I knew that she cared little about how she looked to other people, but I couldn’t help but think that other people must find her strange too. I also knew none of that mattered to her. Her entire life was focused on the animals that were brought to her for care.

That’s too bad. I thought this would work out well for both of you, Laura frostily replied. I could hear the disappointment in her voice.

Not wanting to hang up, but knowing I needed to, I reluctantly murmured, I’m so very sorry. Good luck finding a home for Mollie. Bye. Now that I had said no, hanging up quickly was absolutely necessary before I was tempted to change my mind. I was going to have to try hard not to let my heart overrule my decision-making. Even though my favorite show was still on the television, I couldn’t focus on it. I just stared ahead while memories flooded my mind. The past was roaring to life.

CHAPTER TWO

MY FIRST DOG, BACK TO THE BEGINNING

JUNE 1970. Henry and I had been married for eight months. We met four years earlier when a mutual friend, who thought we might hit it off, introduced us. We were both running for different offices in our college freshman student government. He introduced us to each other in front of the Student Union Building while we were campaigning. My first impression was this was a very cute guy with green eyes and dimples. I saw him talking to our friend, and his dimples sucked me right in. Two weeks after that initial meeting, on Halloween night, we went on our first date to a party at his fraternity house. Four years later we tied the knot.

On this summer night in June we were on our way home from a dinner party at a friend’s house. Our good friends Susan and Tom had just brought home a new chocolate lab puppy