Betty To The Rescue

It was a gorgeous fall day. It was the perfect day to investigate the possibility of developing trailways on city-owned properties. Betty O’Laughlin, Co-Chairperson of the Parks and Recreation Board, is leading Lake Helen’s Trailway Task Force and her job is to determine the best location for the placement of trails throughout the City. On this wonderful fall day, Betty had enlisted the aid of her willing companion, Pat Chadwick, to assist her in her trek through city territory. Pat, being a amateur photographer, had sensed a great opportunity to test out her photographic capabilities and, with camera in hand, had set out to accompany Betty on a tour of city properties. I became the third member of this trailway party because, as the City’s grant writer, it is in my best interest to gauge eligibility aspects of a potential project in order to properly apply for state grant funds. So we set out mid-afternoon to scour city territory in the hopes of ascertaining what potential these lands had for future trailways development.

Our first stop was the property that the City is in the process of purchasing with grant funds from Florida Communities Trust under the Lake Helen Greenway program. This tranquil property is desirable to the City because it is located off Kicklighter Road and adjacent to the Colby/Alderman County park area. A trailway, albeit somewhat rustic, currently exists on the land which connects Lake Helen to the Lake Colby area. As we traversed the land, sounds of delight emanated from our mouths as we gazed at the wonder Mother Nature had placed before us. Pat truly felt that she was in photographer’s heaven. Unfortunately, I could not justify spending working hours totally transfixed by the sights which surrounded me, so our trio begrudgingly agreed to leave the idyllic scenery to take a quick tour of Lake Colby Park.

The plan was to quickly view Lake Colby Park in order to obtain ideas for the development of the City’s Lake Macy Park before heading back to City Hall. As we drove by the lake, we noticed a young man enjoying a lakeside view from a park bench as his Yorkshire Terrier frolicked around him. Not moments later, a scruffy), little white dog ran in front of my car as I rounded the curve and headed towards the man on the bench. I assumed the frisky little guy belonged to the lake watcher. To confirm this thought, I glanced into my rearview mirror and noticed that the little white dog had decided to take a dip in the lake as his nonplussed owner witnessed the event.

Betty, however, was more keenly clued in to the obvious than I. As she witnessed the dog’s total enjoyment of his swim in Lake Colby, she also noticed a man in a pick-up truck further down the lane who was furtively watching our reaction to the dog’s unabashed romp in the water. As Betty instructed me to stop the car to inquire as to the dog’s ownership, the man in the pick-up truck proceeded to drive away. Betty became somewhat agitated as the bench sitter confirmed her suspicions that the little white dog had arrived at the park accompanied by the man in the pick-up truck. I remained incredulous contemplating the seriousness of the situation. As is sometimes the case, I had been forced to remove my rose colored glasses once again to realize the depth of cruelty inherent in certain people.

In light of the circumstances, Pat and Betty simultaneously voiced their dismay at what would seem to be our limited options. How could we leave the little guy to his own devices at Lake Colby Park? We all understood that the little dog would obediently await his hapless master’s unforeseeable return. If no one interfered, he would probably die wondering what had become of his owner. So Betty asserted what we all already knew in our hearts. The dog would have to become the fourth member of our party and return with us to City Hall. Betty summoned the dog and he happily left the shores of Lake Colby to travel with us in my van. Luckily, he was not yet hardened to the cruelties of mankind and therefore easily persuaded to partake in what he thought would be a pleasant car ride.

It is important to note at this time that Betty is not a dog lover. She owns horses and chickens and animals of all sorts, but dogs are not a breed of animal that she desires to possess. On the trip to City Hall, Betty kept mumbling about notifying the City’s Animal Control officer of our discovery in order for the officer to transport the dog to either the Halifax or West Volusia Humane Society. Pat and I informed Betty that life (or death) in the pound might not present the best solution to the dog’s dire predicament and asked her to consider offering the dog a temporary home until a permanent home could be located. Betty reluctantly agreed to take the dog to her house noting, as she fondly gazed at him, how he desperately needed a bath.

As the days passed, Betty and her companion became inseparable soul mates. She brought the dog, appropriately named “Colby”, to City Hall for a visit one day to relay stories of his well-behaved and tender-spirited nature. Her argument for finding him another permanent home seemed to be weakening. The little abandoned dog Colby was finding his way into her forever yielding heart.
So, to end this story, Pat and I are no longer seeking a permanent home for Colby. He seems to have found love and security with a woman who professes that she is not a dog lover, but has the capacity for loving this dog in spite of herself.