Pound Puppy

I've been thinking about my Mom a lot lately and on my way home yesterday another memory came to me.

I was exiting the 105 freeway at Garfield and remembered the day that I took my Mom to the nearby animal shelter to get her newest "fur baby."

A few months prior, her "best girl," "Sarah" passed away. Sarah was about 14 years old and a total "lap dog." Wherever my Mom was, there would be Sarah.

My Mom had another sweety-pooched named "Lazarus." He was about as old, and my Mom loved him just as much. There was just something special about Sarah though.

So yeah...Sarah eventually took her last breath and my Mom was HEARTBROKEN. We couldn't even SPEAK of Sarah without my Mom breaking into tears. So we tried our best not to mention her.

One day, I asked my Mom if she wanted another dog. At first she said no, because no one could ever replace her Sarah. That was understandable, yet there had to be SOMETHING that would relieve her sadness.

A few days later my Mom decided that she did want another dog. So we went online and viewed pics of adoptable doggies at the local shelters. We looked through picture after picture after picture.

Finally, my Mom saw one that caught her eye and said, "Let's go get her."

So the next day, we headed to the shelter to get my Mom's newest "fur baby."

We arrived at the shelter, went up and down the aisles peeking into the kennels until we found the one we'd come for. My Mom asked, "Is that her?"

I said, "Yep."

My Mom asked, "Why does she look different? She doesn't look like her picture."

I didn't have an answer to that one.

Then my Mom noticed that the pooch was on medication for Parvo.

Once my Mom saw that she decided that she didn't want to adopt that particular dog because she didn't want Lazarus to catch it. So...up and down we went, through the aisles once again to find a new pooch.

We spotted one.

A tiny little chihuahua (my Mom LOVED chihuahuas. ALL of her dogs had been chihuahuas). Contrary to what so many folks think, not ALL chihuahuas are "yappy." Every one that my Mom had (and she had MANY), were very sweet and loving...not "yappy" at all.

So...we asked to see the pup and got a chance to hold him. What a sweety he was, calmly laying his head on my should as if to say, "If you take me home I'll love you forever." How could we say no to that?

My Mom decided that he was the one.

She named him "Sammy", we signed the papers, and off we went.

He sat so calmly in my Mom's lap on the way home and we were sure that we'd made the right decision. Yep...that's what we thought.

We got home, carried him inside, sat him down on the floor, and like LIGHTNING...HE TOOK OFF!

He was EVERYWHERE! Moving so fast, we couldn't keep up with him.

What we very quickly discovered was that this 11 week old PUPPY was not a suitable replacement for a 13 YEAR old mature DOG.

My Mom was in over her head. Sammy was on the move ALL day, and only shut off at night for a few hours to sleep. He was exhausting. My Mom loved him, but he was exhausting. He would've been perfect for a family with small children, but not for a woman in her 60s.

Shortly after my Mom got Sammy, she had an accident that resulted in her being hospitalized, never to return home to her beloved "fur babies."

She missed them, and they missed her. Lazarus took her absence especially hard. I'd never witnessed an animal go through depression until I saw Lazarus become deeply depressed over my Mom.

He became a hermit, a recluse.

I'd go over and coax him out of his "lonely place." Would give him as much love as I could during my visits, but it didn't seem to help. He'd go right back to where he was before I arrived.

So much sadness.

Now, they're ALL gone. My Mom is in Heaven, and I have no idea where the dogs are. Both Sammy and Lazarus got loose, never to return. They've both been chipped so if anyone had found them it wouldn't be difficult to find their owners. Over a year has passed though, and that hasn't happened yet.

I've never been to Heaven, yet I sure look forward to getting there one day. When it comes to animals in Heaven, I'm not sure if they're there or not. I sure hope so though. That would let me know that my Mom is having a grand ol' time, because when it came to "fur babies," they made her happier than ANYTHING on Earth (that included her human babies). Her "fur babies" gave her joy that nothing, or no ONE else could match. That's how much she LOVED them.

By the way...Sammy is the one in the photo. Can't even begin to tell you how tough it was to get him to sit still long enough for the pic.

Now, let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time you visited an animal shelter? Did you adopt a pet while you were there?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

A Boy and His Dog

For the majority of my professional career I have worked for fairly large corporations in corporate cubicled offices. The rules within those corporations tended to be fairly stringent and there wasn't a whole lotta room for flexibility.

Well...on October 27th I began working for a new company. Although their name is big within the industry that I am now in, my actual office is VERY small compared to what I'm used to. VERY small. Because it's so small, the rules are a lot more lenient. EVERYDAY is casual day...which I LOVE. And...dogs are allowed in the office, at ANY time. No pre-approval needed. Just bring your pooch. I'm cool with that too (even though I'm allergic).

So...yesterday one of our contractors came in with his son. A rambunctious, yet very sweet little 10 year old OVERFLOWING with energy. Loud energy! Along with the boy, was his dog.

They were there all day and their presence was undeniable. When the boy, (who I'll call Edgar) introduced me to his dog "Bandit", he told me that the Bandit bonds by feeding him. So Edgar gave me some kibble and Bandit ate from my hand. At that point, we'd bonded.

Throughout the day Edgar and Bandit would walk by my desk...sometimes stopping...other times not.

THEN...out of nowhere, Edgar walks by, picks up Bandit and puts him RIGHT IN MY LAP. Ok...did you read the part earlier where I said that I'm ALLERGIC.

So I pet Bandit for a bit, put him down, and immediately head to the bathroom to wash my hands and get as much fur off of me as possible. Otherwise I would have sneezed FOR THE REST OF THE DAY!

Now mind you, I love little kids, and I love dogs. I just know my limits when it comes to dogs. If I know that I can quickly get to a change of clothes, then I'll play with a dog for as long as my allergies will allow. But at work...knowing that there are HOURS left before I can change...that's just no bueno.

So...yesterday came and went and I headed back to work this morning.

Lo and behold...Edgar, Bandit (and Edgar's Dad) were back for another day. OK!

THIS day however, was much different than yesterday.

Yes, Edgar was still rambunctious and Bandit was all over the place, but today, I got to know Edgar's story...and it changed everything for me.

As I said earlier...Edgar is 10.

Edgar's Mom passed away from a heart attack 10 months ago. *Right there is where I just about lost it. It seems that no matter how old or young a person is, as SOON as I learn that their Moms are no longer here, I immediately connect with them. Like we're all members of this exclusive club that nobody really WANTS to be in, yet somehow, we get thrown into.*

Edgar was the one who found his Mom.

Edgar is bi-polar and has ADHD.

Edgar now lives with his Dad and Grandma, and while school is out for winter break, he's been hanging with his Dad at work. There were times today when I could see how exasperated Edgar's Dad was, so I'd hang out with Edgar for a bit, to give his Dad a break.

Bandit was a Christmas gift from Edgar's Mom...just 2 months before she passed away. *Are you crying yet? I am.*

Edgar needs Bandit, and in some crazy way...I think that Bandit knows that.

As I posted earlier today on Facebook, "Everyone has a story that is worth being told...and heard." You see...Edgar has a story. I didn't know his story yesterday so I thought he was just some "wild and out" kid who needed a bit of discipline. But after HEARING his story I realized that all Edgar really needs is LOVE, SUPPORT, (medication to balance out his levels), and his buddy BANDIT. As long as he gets all of that, Edgar will be A-Ok.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you find yourself pre-judging folks, or do you ALWAYS hear their story first?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Lazarus come forth! (It's not what you think)

Although my Mom left her earthly life and those who love her just 22 days ago there's someone/something else who has missed her for even longer.

On September 17th one four-legged furry little pooch lost his best friend...and he's been waiting for her ever since.

I don't know how a dog's memory works. I've heard that they have no concept of time, so if my Mom had returned home on the 18th of September, or a year later, he would've been just as excited to see her.

Unfortunately, he has no idea that he'll never see her again. And that makes me sad.

I can tell that he's depressed. He pretty much stays in the bedroom where my Mom spent 23 hours of her day (if not more), and he only comes out to eat, drink & poop.

When I go by the house I'm at least able to coax him out of the room for some socialization. I can't tell if he's coming out because he thinks I'm my Mom (since we looked so much alike), or if he really knows that it's me and he knows that I'll spoil him up and rub his belly. I just don't know.

I just know that he's sad. I would be too if my best friend went away and never returned. Heck, my best friends DID go away, and have yet to return...so in more ways that one, I understand Lazarus' sadness.

So for as long as I can, I will stop by and do my best to show Lazarus the love the my Mom showed him. I know that it won't be the same...he'll never sit on my lap for hours to be rubbed and fall asleep. With my Mom, he did that ALL the time. The most I get is having him sit on the couch with me with his body wedged between me & the side of the couch. He may sit on my lap for 5 minutes but after that he repositions himself. And when I say goodbye, he heads right back into the room.

Lazarus and my Mom were buddies for 13 years. She was all that he knew. Although he's 91 in dog years, I pray that he has many years left here with us. But if not, I pray that "All dogs DO go to Heaven" and that he & my Mom will be reunited. Mind you, I don't think there's any Scriptural evidence that dogs (or any other animal) go to Heaven, but I can hope, right?

By the way, in case you're wondering what kind of name is LAZARUS for a dog...well...my Mom has had well over 20 dogs in the past 10+ years (she used to breed chihuahuas) and they ALL had Biblical names. That was her rule. When the doggies had puppies she would sometimes allow us to name them, as long as the name came from the Bible. And no...we never named a dog God or Jesus, or after anyone evil.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do YOU think animals go to Heaven?

Talk to me!

Til next time...