Written by Evelyn (friend to the Bradleys).
She is just a little black dog with short legs and big ears. Anyone who had been at Kenmure (New York) for the past two or three years would remember the little black dog who raomed the roads. It was thought she must have been abandoned, and possibly mistreated, because she was very wary of people. She frequented the building sites hoping the workmen would leave a few scraps of food. One day she was seen running down the road with a sandwich in a plastic bag firmly gripped in her mouth - some workman had lost his lunch.
Many tried to befriend the little black dog because she has large appealing eyes that look wonderingly at people. None could get close to her. And then the Bradleys moved into the area! They bought a large box of dog biuscuits and offered them to the little black dog, but she would always keep her distance. They would put the dog biscuits on the roadway and drive away, when they looked back she they saw her hungrily chomping away on the offering.
They kept moving the dish closer and closer to their house and eventually got their little friend into the garage. By this time living on her own had taken its toll and the little black dog had lost most of the hair on her back and she looked desperately ill.
After they had gained the dog's confidence and finaly got her into their house, Kay and Reed called a veterinarian and asked if he would come to their house because they could not get the dog into their car. He came and examined her and said she was healthy but suffering from malnutrition. the Bradleys bathed the little black dog twice a week and gave her medication and vitamins and lo and behold a beautiful little dog emerged.
"Little Black" now has a luxuriant, silky coat of hair and a smile on her face. Some mornings she hops into bed with Kay who finds her "adorable". She follows Reed wherever he goes, loves riding in the car, and barks "ferociously" at anyone walking by on the roadway or driving into the driveway of "her" home.
Little Black lived to approximately 20 years when she finally had to be put to sleep. Her final years were happy ones, ones she fully deserved from the beginning of her life.
