– by Michael Forbes –
She wanted a Bichon Frise because a friend had one and said they were good with children. I thought “we don’t have any kids,” so why do we need a dog that would be good for these alleged future children? Seriously, I couldn’t think of one good reason to get a mutt and I had mentally populated a list of a bazillion reasons why not. That’s why I sat in the car in the driveway with my Lisa for a while, grumbling about this being a lousy idea until she finally persuaded me to just meet the pup.
When I emerged from the long hallway I was greeted by a makeshift pen where I spotted a tiny tuft of white belly button lint looking up at me with jet black eyes. It was as if a miniature grenade exploded right in the middle of a cotton ball. I took one step and it skipped toward me, its tiny tongue peppering my neck with rapid-fire kisses. My grey matter became awash with an overdose of cute and I knew I was in love.
You see, our Bailey was not your regular Bichon, and was just about the opposite of what we thought a dog should be. She was very small for her breed, somewhat timid and never barked. She wasn’t affectionate and when we came home with our first human-born, she sniffed the baby then seemed quite happy to fade into the background. One day though, she hobbled to the forefront when she began to limp. After the operation, we shovelled money and a multitude of vets her way to help her hind leg heal, but it was a losing battle. She couldn’t walk, she was delirious with pain pills, stopped eating and refused water. So we made the decision to end her suffering.
The night before we took her to the vet I cried like a baby. She was just 10 years old – it was too soon and outrageously unfair. As a family, we prayed for a miracle, a sign that she wanted to live. The next morning, like a governor’s reprieve, Bailey’s appetite suddenly returned, delivering her from a most certain fate. It was the chance we hoped for, and in that moment we were determined to do anything we could to save her.
Last month, our little fluff ball had her 17th birthday. She gets around very slowly and now has to wear “doggie Depends”while in the house. We have experienced the subtle scorn of some relatives and friends who feel that we are prolonging her life needlessly. I can assure them that it’s not her time … not yet. I know this because she is one of my oldest and dearest friends, and I still see the spark that has sustained her all these years. She was our only “child” for a time and has been an aloof observer of the first steps, the Happy Birthdays, the heartaches and the laughter that has become the tapestry of our lives together. She didn’t turn out to be the companion we expected, but her very nature has given us the unexpected. She’s allowed us to practice selflessness … all for the love of dog.
Forbes & Marshall are the hosts of Ocean 98.5’s popular morning show. Join them weekday mornings from 5:30 to 10:30 a.m.
