That Dog I was never a dog lover. My kids always wanted a dog. I dug my heels in but eventually, they wore me down with chorus’ of “please can we get a dog? ” Begrudgingly, I began looking for a dog. It was to be a Christmas present for my kids, an older dog, a trained dog. I knew that I did not have the patience for training and I knew that when kids say they will help; I knew exactly what that meant. I started looking for a free dog, a dog no one wanted. The first place I looked was the online bulletin board that my place of employment had and there he was, a 5year-old “energetic” yellow labrador.
Labs are good dogs, right? I called the owner and we set a time to meet and greet. My kids were excited, me, not so much. My father passed away days before we were to meet that dog. It was at the funeral that I received a call from that dog’s owner wanting to know if I really wanted the dog because she explained that if you are not going to take him, I have another person that will. ” I had to decide right then and there if I was going to take that dog, sight unseen, no backing out.
Against my better judgement, I accepted that the kids and I were going to go to Appleton and bring home that dog we have never met, like it or not. Meekly I replied “yes, I will. ” We made that ride to Appleton and as we approached the door to that dog’s home we could hear the barking and see the excited dog jumping around, tail wagging. He had no idea he was going for a long ride never to return to this place he called home. I asked about his likes and dislikes and if there were any concern about behavior.
That dog’s old owner told me “he was never off leash because he did not like to come when called, he ever went hunting or swimming. ” I remember thinking “what kind of life did they let him have? ” After that dog had been living with us for some time, it was becoming clear that although he enjoyed being with my kids and they took him to do many things, including swimming and hunting, he was a great hunter without even being trained, he chose me. Of all people, he picked me to be his human. I was the one he looked to for reassurance. I fed him, cleaned up after him, made sure he got plenty of exercise. I let that dog sleep in my bed!
He trusted me unconditionally. We went for walks, we visited friends, we went to the beach. I could let him off leash and he would always circle back to check on me, making sure that I was there and had not gotten lost. I trusted that dog and he went everywhere with me. He was at my side all the time. I loved that dog as much as he loved me. That was one of the best decisions I have made. As my kids grew up and moved on with their lives, that dog was going to be my buddy, my companion, keeping my nest from being too empty. Sadly, that was not in the cards for me.
I did not know that while we went about enjoying each other’s company a tumor was silently growing in his belly, undetected slowly taking him from me. When I was finally aware that he was sick it was really too late to do anything for him but to make the biggest, saddest decision ever, to let him go and ease his pain. Theld his head and looked him in his eyes so that he would know that I was with him on his final journey, it was the least I could do to repay him for all that he had given me. The last day I had that dog was the one of the hardest days | have ever had to go through.
The loss of a pet is never easy; to me he was part of my family, my third hair kid. I could not even consider replacing that dog, none would be able to live up to the greatness that he was. Oh, how I loved that dog, that Toby! | didn’t need to go through that kind of pain again. The thing is though, he taught me so many things and was such a wonderful dog, he rescued me. He taught me how to love a dog. In my mind I heard him saying in his doggy voice” you need a dog, Mom. Go get her mom. Find her, she needs you, save her! ” | was ready and I did. Toby gave me Ruby.
