The dogs and cats who stay with us are often more than just business transactions. Admittedly, many pets visit us only once or twice, or maybe once every couple of years, and we don't have the chance to know these guys as well as many of our more frequent guests. But many, many dogs and cats have been coming here for years, and often they are the second or third in a family of pets we have cared for over the years. We know the people and we know their pets. They're like friends and we know just what they need.
For example one dog may need to be in an end run because he doesn't like to come in the doggie door; another can't have a blanket because he chews it; yet another doesn't like the platform beds we provide and always tried to sleep on the concrete so we remove the bed and fill the whole run with blankets. Some dogs need no-spill food bowls; others need no-spill food AND water bowls.We know which dogs like to play with balls, and which only want to walk around and sniff in the play area. We know which dogs always need baths before they go home, and which dogs hate baths more than anything in the world.
But familiarity has a downside. All of these dogs and cats eventually leave us, one way or the other, and this is about one such dog.
Wally was a briard--a large french herding dog, with furry Ewokian ears and hair down over his eyes. When Wally came to us a few years ago, he seemed to not like us. Whenever we put him into his run, he would turn and bark at us, sometimes including a growl for good measure. He never offered to bite but it was clear we needed to pay attention to Wally.
He ended up visiting us many times per year, and eventually stopped the barking and growling. Then something really neat happened. One day when he was being dropped off, and I was at the computer checking him in, he came over to me and nuzzled my arm. He wanted me to say hi to him. Most dogs stay at leash's length, just hoping their being here is a big misunderstanding and that their people won't leave without them, but Wally was glad to see me. I scruffed his head and said hi, and every time he checked in after that I always made sure to sure to greet him.
Wally had been sick for a few weeks and I got the call today that he was gone. He went peacefully, with his people right there with him. And when I think of Wally, I end up thinking of Theo and Abby and Kira and Murphy, and all the others who I considered friends, who I hoped considered me their friend, and who I hoped enjoyed knowing me as much as I enjoyed knowing them. And I remember how important it is to find that one thing that they like, and make sure I give it to them.
