My Dream of a Shelter-in-Place Alert
- Simply Jelly Jam
- 24 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Really, this is a dream about dogs.
Do you have weird dreams about your pets? I frequently do. Recently, I had a weird dream about a shelter-in-place alert that left me responsible for five dogs.
In case it's helpful, below are the main points covered in this post:
The Setting
My Dad, dogs, and I were staying in a vacation home. I do not recall why we were there. I do recall Dad and I preparing for being trapped in the house not long after we checked in.
Dad took my large dog, Lucy, out to buy enough groceries to last us a few days. My small dog, Rascal, and I waited stayed at the vacation home.
Rascal was out in the backyard to take care of 'business' ahead of an incoming nighttime storm.
Phone Alert
I received an "Emergency Alert - Shelter-in-place" message on my phone. My heart raced as I worried about Dad, Lucy, and whatever was going on that caused us to lock down in this vacation home.
Would Dad and Lucy be able to make it back? Or would they have to shelter-in-place wherever they were?
I opened the back door and called for Rascal. Within seconds, he came running alongside a small, tan chihuahua puppy. Both small dogs greeted me.
The puppy was soaked, filthy, and shivering. Rascal walked off while the tan chihuahua begged for me to pick it up.
My anxiety was high. Was this a lost or stray puppy?
If it had an owner, was the owner out looking for it? Should I risk stepping outside briefly to see if someone was looking for it?
If it were a stray, did it have litter mates outdoors somewhere in need of shelter? Should I risk stepping outside briefly to see if other puppies were on their way to the house?
Deep down, I knew it was safer to keep the puppy with us until the warning was lifted, but a small part of me felt confused. At least it was just one extra dog that I had to care for.
An Unexpected Sound
I held the puppy and checked the garage to see if Dad and Lucy were back yet. Unfortunately, the garage was empty. As I closed the door, I heard a large dog barking from inside the house.
Panicked because I did not recognize the bark, I ran to the living room to make sure Rascal was safe. When I got there, a great pyrenees was standing over Rascal.
Fortunately, the great pyrenees was attempting to engage Rascal in a play fight. Still, I felt panicked because there was yet another strange dog in the house.
How did the great pyrenees get into the house? How did I not notice it sooner?
I wandered around the house to make sure all the doors and windows were locked. After all, I needed to be extra cautious about our safety. Everything was locked, so I assumed the dog was already in the house when we arrived earlier.
The great pyrenees looked cleaner than the puppy, but significantly thinner. I hoped that Dad and Lucy would return with dog food, assuming they were able to return to the vacation home.
Feeling Stressed
Fortunately, I heard the garage door open. Rascal and the great pyrenees followed me, still holding the puppy, to the garage. I was anxious to tell Dad what happened.
Lucy greeted us at the door. She jumped with joy seeing me, Rascal, and the two additional dogs.
I felt calmer knowing we were together. I headed towards Dad's voice when he asked for help. As I walked around the SUV, a golden retriever walked my way with a grocery bag in its mouth.
The golden retriever stopped and looked up at me as if to say hello. It then walked past me into the house.
Stunned, I looked at Dad. He returned my gaze and said, "I couldn't leave him out there alone." Dad then saw the puppy and great pyrenees. He broke out laughing before walking past us carrying several grocery bags.
My heart raced as I worried about... everything. Did we have enough food to feed all five dogs? Could the puppy eat adult dog food? What would their digestive systems be like if I had to feed them 'human' food?
Would having five dogs, three of which I did not know, be chaotic? How much work would it be to care for so many dogs? What if all of the dogs were super needy (e.g., hugs, cuddles, playtime, grooming, reassurance, etc.)?
Were they strays in need of a forever home? How could I afford to care for them until I found them their forever homes? What if I could not find them a forever home? What if they had worried owners? Were their owners as stressed as I felt at the moment?
I felt overwhelmed with stress.
What I Would Change About My Dream
I considered this a bad dream because I felt anxious, worried, and stressed through it. This was similar to how I probably would have felt in reality.
A few weeks ago, my therapist encouraged me to 'rewrite' bad dreams. She suggested that I re-imagine bad dreams in a more positive way. I figured I would give her suggestions a try with this dream.
After some thought, I realized that my mindset was the only thing that needed to change. Instead of stressing and worrying about who, what, when, where, and why, I should have accepted everything as it played out.
We were safe. We were together. We had at least the bare minimum for being locked down for a few days. We had five dogs that got along without issues.
There was no need to worry at the time. If there were worried owners, at least I knew their dogs were safe with me. At the very least, I could go online to make it known that their dogs were safe with me and would be returned once the shelter-in-place warning was lifted.
If the dogs were strays as I suspected, then at least they were safe indoors instead of dealing with potential dangers outdoors like bad weather or starvation. I could reach out to local veterinary clinics and shelters after the warning was lifted.
The fact of the matter is that there was no reason for me to feel panicked. I could not avoid the situation the dog distribution system placed me in, so I just needed to deal with it the best I could.
What's Next?
I enjoyed reflecting on my dream before I forget about it! A dream of content dogs is truly a good dream.
If you remember a dream when you wake up, consider documenting it in something like a dream journal. It may open your eyes to a lingering worry or a secret desire that you should look into!
Comment below to share your dream!
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Thanks, and have a great day!
~Simply Jelly Jam
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