The Slice: There’s no stopping Gracie when she’s on a roll

When last we heard about Gracie the Chihuahua, the little dog just south of St. Maries, was busy chasing deer.

Her owner, Jim Shubert, had wondered what she would do with a deer if she caught one. That was back on Christmas Eve 2011.

Well, Jim has filed a new Gracie report. But it has nothing to do with deer.

“I took my 91-year-old mother (and Gracie) to visit with my sister Katie at Rathdrum. Katie has a lot of neat critters.”

The roster includes a miniature horse, two goats and some free range chickens. This is where Gracie comes in.

The little dog likes nothing better than applying chicken droppings to her fur. “She likes to roll in a big pile of the fresh stuff.”

Jim thinks it might be because the chicken excrement is organic.

He described Gracie blissfully diving into a pile of the droppings, “Flopping back and forth with her legs waving in the air.”

Jim doesn’t have the heart to intervene. The way he sees it, the approximately 14-year-old dog deserves to enjoy life.

“I got her at Hope’s Haven Animal Shelter in St. Maries five years ago. She was severely abused by her previous owner. She was apparently used as a kick dog because she is blind in her left eye and has an unrepairable broken jaw.”

So if Gracie wants to roll in organic chicken poop, well, it’s nothing a good bath won’t remedy.

Said Jim, “I’m just glad my sister doesn’t have cows.”

Slice answer: Elizabeth Purkett saw the question about changing your mind. Back in 1956, when she was a student at Washington State, she had a classmate who did not fit in. Elizabeth didn’t like her. Then one day she found that young woman sitting alone in the student union. She joined her. “I learned she was a single mother trying to raise her young son and get an education while working to support herself. What a life lesson for me. Never be quick to judge.”

Today’s Slice question: The most ridiculous use of the word “elderly” you have encountered?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. The idea of retirement scares some people.