Every couple of months Mighty Marc and I talk about getting a dog. Then we slap each other in the face and shout, “Get Over It!”
The one time we gave in to our longing we bought a darling, energetic, puppy and named him Spike. After exhaustive weeks of training him, we were forced to accept that we were too old to deal with a high strung, yapping puppy, so with tremendous guilt and sadness, we found him a good home and swore never to do that again.
Every time the urge returns we remind each other what we went through with Spike, and that holds us for a while.
Still, the yearning persists.
Last week we caved in and visited PetSmart’s rescue dog section, where we fell in love with Erika; a sweet, calm, Carolina dog who craved affection. She looked into our eyes, licked our faces, and sat at our feet. She was perfect.
We were proud of ourselves for exhibiting restraint, and not impulsively bringing Erika home. Instead, we slept on it.
The next morning found us both ready to commit.
We walked into PetSmart and found Erika, on a leash, yelping, and dragging a 250-pound PetSmart employee down an aisle. The man’s body was nearly parallel with the floor as he did everything in his power to control Erika who, in just 24 hours, had morphed from tranquil to ready-for-takeoff. Mighty Marc and I pivoted and headed for the door.
Determined to find a dog, we drove to Noah’s Ark, where we met Webster. The scars on his body spoke volumes about the abusive life he had endured. He had epileptic seizures that required taking phenobarbital twice daily, forever. He responded to our affection in a way that filled our hearts with joy.
We walked Webster around the grounds. He never tugged at the leash. He was compliant, and we wanted him.
Webster began sniffing the ground so we allowed him to find the perfect place. When he finished doing his business, he sniffed it......and ate it.
I looked at Mighty Marc. “I’m outta here.”
“I’m right behind you,” he said.
The next time we need a doggie fix we’ll visit shelters, pet dogs, then go home.
Laverne's book, "How The (Bleep) Did I Get This Old?" is available at amazon.com and other online bookstores. Website: www.lavernebardy.com - E-mail her at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.