Hmmmm...where to start? I guess, thanks for all the support. It has been an amazing eleven days since Pandy arrived here and Ann took pity on a starving stray.

The first time I saw Pandy, she was laying under an old bench in the carport, and Ann pointed out what looked like part of her intestines hanging out of her abdomen. We thought she might have been attacked by coyotes, and were really surprised to learn what an out-of-control abscessing breast tumor is, from the vet. It was rotting and draining, and the vet assured us that it would not dry up or go away. It had just outgrown the blood supply, and would lead to blood poisoning shortly, that would kill her.

You've heard most of the rest of the story; the staples will come out this week. We never really considered letting her die. Some animals are far too connected (I don't know if that is the right word?) with humans to not be saved. I know we had an emotional connection with Pandy in her sad hurt state, almost immediately. And it grows.

One thing I wanted to say is about her breed. She does look very much like a Border Collie, with a few exceptions. Maybe someone could clarify these anomolies for me?

When she is alert, her ears stand up. Unless they have been docked, these are not BC ears.

Her tail is up and curled when she runs. Is this a BC characteristic?

Finally, the texture of her coat is unusual in my experience. You can see how fine it is some of the pictures. It is very soft and silky, something I am not familiar with except in certain toy breeds. Are there other medium-sized dogs with this trait?

Just wondering. Again, thanks everyone.