Hi. My name is Porter. My parents embarrass me by calling me Porter Pup or Ragamuffin. They are always embarrassing me. But that is another subject. I am a 3 year white dog with long fur. I’m fairly tall and I weigh 80lbs. People say that I am a Golden Retriever/Great Pyrenees Mix. All I know is that I am who I am. Or at least I thought I knew who I was….
I have always been a little independent and pretty brave. Then last month’s earthquake hit. I was really scared. I crouched down real low and ran to my Mom. She and I climbed under the kitchen table just as a large picture flew off the mantle. Oh yeah, my brother Cooper was with us too (he’s a black lab). I was so scared I forgot about him. Everything was shaking. It was really loud. Then things started falling and I could hear them breaking. I thought it would never end.
When it stopped I tried to run to the back door to go outside but my way was blocked by broken glass and liquid. So I ran back to my mommy. She made me and my brother lay down and stay while she cleaned up the mess. I heard her tell my daddy that glasses had fallen out of the cupboard and that a bottle of alcohol had fallen and broken on the floor too. I didn’t know about all that. All I knew was that I was scared. Once my Mom cleaned up she came over and gave us treats. It made me feel better.
Then we had an aftershock. I don’t know if Mom felt it. She didn’t run under the table. But I did. I ran under the table with every aftershock no matter how small for days. I didn’t want to get hit by anything falling. In that big one it sounded like my whole house was going to fall.
I had just started thinking that we were all done with earthquakes. We hadn’t had one in a while and I was beginning to relax and get back to my normal routine. Hiding under the table was taking up precious time for napping, squeaking toys, chewing bones, and checking the perimeter of my yard.
Then Sunday I felt something. I thought it might be an earthquake but maybe I was imagining it. I must have been. Those things were over. Still I started sticking closer to Mom and being cautious. Then I felt another one and I knew. For some reason my mommy and daddy and brother didn’t seem upset. By Monday they were talking about me acting weird and being scared again. But they didn’t seem to get it. We were having earthquakes again. Why wouldn’t I be scared? Shouldn’t they be?
Then came yesterday. I was laying at Mommy and Daddy’s feet while they had lunch. It was really windy. The loud noises were making me jump a little. Even my brothers were a little jumpy. Usually I like the wind through my fur but this was a bit much. My parents were just eating and talking when all of a sudden there was this loud noise and the house moved again. I was glad I was right there with them. It was good that daddy was home for lunch. They said it was okay. They even said it was smaller than the other one. Well, I knew that. Still, it was a good size. Now I’m worried we might have another big one. I’m having trouble sleeping and I’m jumping at every noise. My Mom says it’s okay. But I don’t feel okay. Am I the only one?
My brother Cooper says that everything is okay because Mom says it is. My brother Guinness (the kitten) isn’t bothered anyway. But I’m not sure he’s that smart. He’ll chase his tail around and around forever. So I don’t know what to do. For now I am going to stay cautious. I know all routes to the table. I’ve even timed how long it takes to get there. I’m also going to take my naps closer to my Mom and Dad. I’ll let you know what happens. I just hope that all the Eureka Dogs and their parents stay safe! I want to be able to play with you once we have a dog park. So stay safe. Woof!
