The Ballad of Ricki Lake and Franklin

Many people saw the mid-sized, multi-colored dog over the last three years, walking around Avondale Estates or sunning herself on the expansive lawn of a church.

Some people figured she belonged to someone, even though she wore no collar. To others she was practically invisible, just another dog roaming the metro landscape.

She'd disappear from sight for a few days or weeks and then reappear somewhere else in the neighborhood. She wouldn't let anyone get close enough to touch her. Those who tried to help couldn't coax her to come with either sweet talk or treats.

Then, on the morning of Sept. 19, two teachers from the International Community School burst through the door of LifeLine Animal Project with a tiny puppy in their hands.They'd found it in the parking lot of the school and brought it to LifeLine to try to save it.

Mickie Blair, LifeLine's field coordinator, studied the small greyish puppy. It was a female and by her estimation only 24-48 hours old. After the vet examination, she took the tiny creature home to care for it, knowing that a bustling shelter was no place for a dog that young and vulnerable to temperature changes, germs and noise.

"When day-old puppies are left alone, they get cold and their immune system can't bounce back and they seldom survive," she said.

The puppy didn't survive, but like all "hopeless cases" that LifeLine gets, she was given tender care and attention until the very end. "When this kind of thing happens we don't let them die alone or unwanted," Blair said.

No one had any idea where the pup had come from or how she had ended up in the school parking lot. No one connected the tiny puppy to the female dog that had been wandering the streets, living by wits and caution, for the last several years.

One day near Christmas Blair was on her way to work when she spotted the wandering dog. Alongside her was a puppy that looked amazingly like the one that the teachers had brought into LifeLine a few months before. 

Blair then realized what had probably happened and immediately enlisted Gene Stamey, LifeLine's Dog House manager, to hatch a plan to catch the skittish twosome. After a few failed attempts, they finally caught them both in a homemade drop trap.

"When we trapped her, she just sat down. She seemed almost relieved," said Blair, "as soon as I put a leash on her, she became a whole different dog, an outgoing dog."

Finally close enough to examine her, Blair and Stamey could see the homeless mother dog was likely an Australian shepard mix and the puppy was at least partly Catahoula leopard dog. 

The mother dog was in terrible condition with skin problems and issues stemming from living on the streets, not being spayed and having too many litters, but she was gentle and sweet with her rescuers.

Both mother and son received names - Ricki Lake and Franklin, after the nearby streets they roamed (Lake Street and Franklin) - and got much-needed medical care.

Finally, they both had a safe place to sleep and plenty to eat. For the very first time in his young life, Franklin received toys to play with.

"Ricki Lake is one smart cookie to have survived out there as long as she did," Blair shared, "but I don't think Franklin would have lived much longer."

Both mother and son are doing great now. They are being cared for by LifeLine staff and have received some training from LifeLine's dog trainer and co-founder, Sharon Eikey.

They are healthy and ready for adoption.

Ricki Lake is approximately four years old and her calm, smart and sweet nature makes her an ideal candidate for someone who wants a mid-sized dog to add to their family.

Franklin is about five months old and is a thriving puppy. He loves treats and toys and has beautiful merle coloring. 

To learn more about this lucky and adventurous twosome or to adopt Ricki Lake or Franklin, please contact adoptions@LifeLineAnimal.org