By Katherine Mattingly
My story about Pluto started before I even met her.
I’m fairly new to the Sedona area, having lived here for almost two years. I brought my elderly puggles with me from California and sadly, to my devastation, both dogs died here within three months of each other. Completely shattered, and incapable of living in a house without my loyal companions, I started looking online at petfinder.com.
Still unsure if I should acquire another dog at my age, for some reason, I kept procrastinating, yet scouring social media for an adult female; a dog larger than a puggle; and an independent dog who could take care of herself, if necessary. I was also fiercely committed to adopting/rescuing a dog rather than going through a breeder who could possibly (and tragically) own a puppy mill.
One evening in mid-December 2022, I came across a post on Nextdoor.com. It was about Pluto, a beautiful yellow lab mix who, on a larger scale, resembled both of my fawn-colored puggles. The post said this dog was in need of a forever home, that she was sweet but shy, and would thrive in a quiet home as a single pet.
I read the post with a good deal of interest, my emotions playing on the loss of my previous dogs, and on the eloquence with which the article described Pluto. Pluto?
Who names a dog like this Pluto? All I could think of was a planet in the solar system. A male dog, maybe. But the Pluto I was reading about far surpassed the name. I kept reading.
Apparently, Pluto was the dog who had made headlines due to her daring escape into the red rocks of Sedona. My concern for the animal grew as I read about her being “lost” for 6 days. Six days in the Sedona heat, with no food or drink other than what she could scavenge for herself. Impossible! I thought.
The article ended with the relief that the hungry dog had, indeed, been found (or should I say trapped) using the aroma of Vienna Sausage and a rotisserie chicken. Thankfully, Pluto was successfully returned to the Sedona Humane Society after a long, adventurous journey.
With this compelling information, it was difficult for me to sleep that night, reading and rereading the write-up on my laptop screen, thinking about Pluto, knowing how much I wanted a dog… and realizing that, in addition to love, I had supplies such as dog beds, food and water bowls, toys, and an enclosed backyard. I had everything but the dog.
I decided to call the Humane Society in the morning in order to schedule a meeting with Pluto.
The greatly anticipated day of our meeting came, and I was a ball of excitement, somehow loving this dog even before knowing her. At the Sedona Humane Society, I was first introduced to Megan, an awesome dog trainer and behaviorist. She said everyone she worked with absolutely loved Pluto.
At first, I considered this delay in meeting Pluto to be an annoyance, but soon, As Megan gave me a detailed background description about Pluto and what this dog had been through, I was grateful for the information. I found out that Pluto was a Rez dog, and that she’d been feral for a good deal of time, perhaps a year or two. As a newcomer to Arizona, I had no idea what a Rez dog was, nor did I understand the implications of a feral dog.
As a shy dog, she wasn’t accustomed to being confined to a crate or a kennel. She stayed in the back of her enclosure, not coming forward when prospective adopters came by. Nor did she display much personality. Other dogs barked and jumped with enthusiasm and anticipation when they saw families considering an adoption, but not Pluto. Undeniably, she did not “show” well, and did nothing to encourage a new family to take her home.
Now was the time for me to officially meet Pluto! I sat outside the shelter in an enclosed area on a bright, sunny December morning with great anticipation. I knew, without question, that I would love this dog—that she was to become MY dog.
True to form, a sheepish Pluto was brought into the area where I was sitting on a bench. Head down, walking slowly, with her tail between her legs, she looked petrified.
I decided to sit still and to say nothing, leaving it all up to Pluto. Again, I thought to myself, “How beautiful, brave, and awesome this dog is.” For me, it was love at first sight. Noticing how uncomfortable Pluto was in an unfamiliar location, Megan and I walked her to the dog play area.
As Megan began interacting with her, I was fascinated by Pluto’s happy dance and prancing movements. She was all wags and wiggles, and so happy! Clearly, this dog had a personality!
As I sat watching this exuberant display between Megan and Pluto, I loved that this dog had miraculously avoided harm on so many occasions. I loved what I was able to do for her in order to give her a better life, and I loved what she was able to do for me, giving me a true companion and her a second chance.
I brought her home right before Christmas, 2022.
The name Pluto was not one I could consider keeping. She was so much more than a cartoon character. Remembering Shakespeare’s famous quote from Romeo and Juliet—“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”—and because I’m a huge Beatles fan, I immediately renamed her Rita, as in “Lovely Rita, Metermaid,” a song featured on the Beatle’s 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
In the six months we’ve been together, she’s lived up to her new name and has been my Lovely Rita ever since.
Rita is a quirky dog. By that, I mean she’s not your typical domesticated dog. The call of the wild is still strong in her. She likes the confinement of my bedroom best and ventures out only for food, a walk, or the backyard—which she’ll enter only via the bedroom door).
Walking down a long hallway, she stays as close to the wall as possible. She won’t eat with an audience; if she notices I’m watching, or am even in the vicinity, she will retreat back into the bedroom.
After a rain, she prefers to drink from puddles on my patio rather than from the full water bowls situated around the house. Her nose is constantly to the ground, tracking whatever was previously there, or she has her nose in the air, presumably sniffing for danger.
Fortunately for me, she doesn’t bark, as the noise would tip off a predator as to her location. Today on our walk, she stopped suddenly and gave a sharp growl-like sound. Just one sound. I knew she was alerting me to something, but of course, as a mere human, I had no idea what it could be. We continued on with our walk.
When we arrived back on our street, I discovered a mangy, under-fed coyote was following us home. I then understood the sharp growl-like noise Rita had made earlier. Uncharacteristically, Rita lunged at the coyote, coming between me and it—never making a sound, but straining on the leash. She did this more than once to scare off the coyote.
I got Rita back under control, and we continued walking—constantly looking behind us for the stalker. I believe Rita was my protector today and, considering her background, it became abundantly clear to me that Rita was not to be messed with.
All of her actions serve to remind me of the life she once lived: independent, indomitable, and intelligent.
To tell you that Rita has brought joy to my life would be an understatement. She respects my belongings and I don’t worry about her chewing my electronic cords, shoes, or anything else. She is sweet beyond measure with her soulful eyes. She loves the outdoors and can often be found sunbathing in the backyard.
Although she’s a Nervous Nellie in the car, one of her favorite places to explore is the off-leash Sedona Dog Park. On-leash, she is a consummate walker, staying close to me and not pulling. True to what Kim wrote in the previous article on Rita, while walking, she still looks over her shoulder at me. Is it to thank me for taking her on a walk, or is it for the treat she expects every time I say “good girl”? Probably both.
I am beyond thankful that I’m the person who took Rita home. She gets loads of love, a roof over her head, and plenty of treats and belly rubs. She no longer needs to scavenge for food as it is readily available. I believe she knows how much she’s loved, and that she loves me too. Our lives are better together. Each day, I love learning more about Rita and I especially love that she is my teacher.
Rita would like to thank everyone from the Sedona Humane Society for showing her so much kindness, especially Kim and Megan. She is also appreciative of all those who did not give up on her and continued searching for her, against all odds in the red rocks of Sedona. Rita realizes that all these events led her to Katherine and to her forever home.
