Growing up my requests for a dog were always denied with a reminder of the responsibility having such a friend would carry. It was a constant moot point between my parents and I; I wanted – needed to have a golden retriever and after begging, foot stomping, grunting and temper tantrums, I eventually settled for life with no canine bestie.
Years later, a student would call me in a panicked voice asking for help. “Ms Leona, I’m in trouble.” “Are you okay?” “Can I come over to your home?” “Yes, please come over.” “Okay. I will be there at six.” Bewildered, I sat and waited for an hour. What sort of trouble could she be in? Had she cheated on an exam and gotten expelled? Did she want to borrow money? Was she having boy troubles? I said a prayer, unsure of what to expect at 6 that night.
At six o’clock she showed up with her roommates and a puppy the size of her hand. “Our dorm Mom found him,” she said, “We have to get rid of him.” At that point I was as incapable of saying no as a newborn is of saying “Mom! Feed me.” So, I called someone higher up and more official to do the dirty work for me. All the while my heart was keeping time with two different beats; “There’s no way we can take care of him,” and “HE LOOKS JUST LIKE A GOLDEN RETRIEVER!!! WE HAVE TO SAY YES!!!”
After discussions of responsibility my team (of four teachers) decided to take on the puppy together, as long as he lived with my roommate and I. We raised that pup through his teenage (dog) years. He was a friend and blessing to many people and annoyance to a few more. I complained about the responsibility, the barking and the potty training, but the truth is he was precious to me.
During our first year together, I would often take an hour long nap during the Xiuxi period (similar to a siesta), and every day he would sit by my side, watching me as I slept. I miss those times with my Moe. I’ll spare you the angsty teenage years of Moe’s life, filled with adventure, though they may be. From his car chasing antics, to his pubescent Jekyll and Hyde tendencies, Moe was a tricky dog to say the least.
As I look back on my time with him, I remember lots of laughter and joy (frustration too). Yes, dogs are responsibilities, but they are worth it. Moe was worth it. One day Moe went adventuring and never came home. We spent a long time grieving the Pup and unsure if he’d been in an accident or if he ran away.
I could tell you a million things I would have done differently regarding Moe, but one thing I would never do is refuse to take him in.