2010-01-20 Travels Without Shelby

Lakewood, WA

Within a week of the passing of two beloved family dogs - Turner and Phoebe - Shelby joined them today.

I once read a story about a guy who had to put his Great Dane down. The Dane had never been given chocolate but like all dogs, had always wanted to. So the night before the final trip to the Vet he purchased a pint of Haagen Daz chocolate ice cream and allowed it to melt so he could let his friend taste the forbidden treasure at least once in his life.

Today, I bought a pint of Haagen Daz chocolate ice cream for Shelby and sat with her as she gratefully lapped it up.

Then, I drove her to the Vet one final time.

Shelby came into my life in severe distress but took it all in stride and never let her handicap get in the way of her unbridled love for living it.

Surprisingly, she did not suffer from many old-age issues and lived gracefully and happily to the very end.

But flames that burn twice as bright burn half as long.

In a world so filled with sadness and hardship, particularly the tragic situation in Haiti right now, the passing of an old crippled dog doesn't deserve much attention.

2019-08-30 Meanwhile, Ten Years Later...

Ashland, VA
(37.708134, -77.436275)
(library.workers.elimination)

The late Shelby, The present Buddy

It's been about ten years since I last updated this blog.

It seems fitting to use a photo to bookend what I looked like when I wrote the last one and what I kind of look like today. 

That's likely the last photo of Shelby and I together, and the first of Buddy, who helped open the newest chapter of my life.

We'll get back to Buddy and the Good Dogs after paying tribute to the wonderful Polly, who graced my life with her presence during her third act and in those missing years, ending on the exact same day as the results of the last Presidential election.

Polly on the beach

Polly especially loved kids

Polly came to me by way of a friend who had her in conditions I considered less than optimal, so I provided Polly with options, like taking her out to parks and such, and bringing her home with me in increasingly-longer visits.

In the fullness of time, she became "my" dog, until the end.

That doesn't fully account for the missing ten years, but it squares the dog logs.

Those logs remained empty through 2018, as I considered the obvious question so often asked.

It was not grief so much as - and I don't like admitting this - medical costs preventing another dog right away.

The last four dogs I have seen through to the end brought unquantifiable joy and fullness to my life. But in the end, cost thousands of dollars in Vet costs, and always dying anyway. At the time I would literally pay anything for another minute of their lives, even wrestling with the complicated issues.

The operational run rate is also non-trivial. Polly had a boatload of issues, one of which involved her only being able to eat prescription-grade kibble costing more than steak. And insulin for her Diabetes. She was kind of a wreck, come to think of it. Also blind from cataracts. I know the joke: "answers to Lucky". Still.

Yoda

Oh, and possibly deaf too. But other than that, she loved life. I think.

Still, no cost is too great for the many things dogs bring to the game.

I got to thinking how could I have dogs without the expense? 

Well the answer was right next door in the form of Yoda.

My hard-working neighbors have crazy schedules and this little scruffy guy who would likely love to be walked and I just happened to need to take one myself, so why not?

And so it began.

Turns out he did love it. Still does. As often as possible. Plus, as a stroke of luck and kindness, Yoda's pack expanded by one. The. Exact. Same. Size.

Yup. Here's the first photo and FaceBook post.

Zoe's Story

A legit effort was made to locate anyone looking for her to no avail. No chip either when checked out by the Vet.

Now it's a pack, which I collectively identify as "Zoda". I hook up Zoda daily and promptly get dragged around by two tiny but shockingly powerful pups. 

But that was not enough. Needed more dog than that. Without the cost... hmmm... foster?

Another friend of the family has fostered a number of dogs from the Richmond Animal League, including Buddy, a sweet senior doggo.
Buddy came to my friend as another foster but his charm was too much and so became family instead.

Buddy

I became Stay-care for Buddy when my friend needed to leave him behind for a week while she traveled. It was great. He was a terrific guest, polite as all get-out, unassuming and content, just add some nugs and hugs.

The front desk at the resort took notice of my increased dog walking activity and told me people sometimes asked for dog walking services.

And the light went on. It checks off the boxes:

1. Dogs
2. Exercise
3. Being needed

It's personal. Not business.

It is not without irony a T-shirt given to me about 25 years ago, and never wore, became the inspiration for my new operation:

Yep. You can call me "Don Jon".

It was not long before the calls started coming in. That was about May. 

By the end of the Summer I hit Peak Doggage. While I have regulars M-F, one day I walked 17 dogs in the same day, plus had a sleepover. Harley. He stays a lot.

The Summer of 2019 went to the Dogs for me, in the Best Way Possible.