By Melik
I was not allowed to have a pet when I was a child. I wanted a dog. I was told by my mother that my father had a fear of dogs. I never questioned that until my sister decided she wanted a dog. I was away at college and my mother began telling me about the puppy my sister brought home. She talked about how my father built a dog house. Apparently my father was excited about the dog until the dog chewed up the house. I guess he took puppy tendencies personally. I was a little more than miffed.
Once again my sister had managed to figure out a way to get what she wanted. She was a nice dog though, her name was Pebbles. She was a German Shepherd and black Labrador mix. She was a smart, playful, loving dog full of exuberant personality. Unfortunately, she was killed in a traffic incident. I did not spend much time with the dog but I could tell she had a fondness for me. My mother would tell me how Pebbles would sleep in my bed for a week after I was home for a visit. She made it hard not to be fond of her in return. I kept Pebbles for a few months while my mother was healing from a severely broken leg that kept her from caring for the dog. During that time she warned me about a fire in my apartment building. That incident taught me to pay close attention to what animals do and how they act. I was extremely saddened when my sister told me Pebbles had died. I thought to myself it would probably be better to never get a pet so that I would not have to experience that type of loss again.
I have another dog in my life now. Roxanne’s staying with me is the result of a breakup. I will never understand how a woman was able to break up with me and her dog she owned for over decade. That is a lot to walk away from. If there is a perfect dog, I would have to say Roxy might fit that bill. She is a boxer and pit bull mix and one of the gentlest creatures I have ever met. If she did not have severe separation anxiety she would be perfect.
However, having her missing for two weeks was more than enough stress than what I needed in my forced ownership of Rox. Yes, I could have tried to find her a new home but I knew that would not be fair to her. She was in a new city, her owner left her and I was the most familiar face she new. I could tell she grew dependent on my presence. What surprised me was my dependence on her existence.
At first I grew to expect to hear her click clacking down the stairs when I would come home from work. I began to look forward to our daily walks that were supposedly just meant for doggy duty maintenance. When she ran away from home after busting out of a window I was devastated. I was shocked at how attached I was to a silly old, gray haired mutt. She always seems so happy to see me. We walk around the neighborhood without a leash. She is very friendly with strangers, allowing them to love on her for as long as they desire. I proudly smile when someone tells me how well mannered she is, or when they revel on how she listens to me and does not need a leash to be walked. Yes, I know about the laws and I am quick to grab her whenever anyone shows any type of fear of the canine. Now whenever possible you will see Rox hanging out with me. We have gone camping. We have gone on road trips. Now I wonder if I could rig something up so she could go with me on motorcycle rides.
I never thought I would be a ‘dog person’. I think Rox has brought out a softer side of me. Rox is about fourteen years old. Some say she does not have much longer to live. Others say I might be surprised. I am assuming she will pass on before me. However it works out, I truly am going to miss her when she is gone. She has definitely brought a positive ray of light to my life. ~Melik melik_2001 @
Contact Melik at
melik_2001 @ yahoo.com.