We sat down to enjoy our Mexican food. I hadn't had a chicken taco in a while and I was really looking forward to digging in. The weather was beautiful; a bit warm but with a nearly hidden cool breeze hinting of cooler temperatures this week. My husband and I sat outside on the patio as a gentleman walked by with his little minpin mix. I said immediately "she looks older" as I noticed her cloudy eyes. I am drawn to old dogs; there is something very special about them and their story.
The man tied her leash around a chair and noticed us looking at his little dog. "Could you watch her while I go in?" he asked. "Of course" we assured him. He explained that he'd just be a minute so if we could just keep an eye on her. We smiled and nodded "no problem." As he opened the door he turned and asked "do you have dogs?" I smiled thinking "do we have dogs?" My husband let him know that we do indeed have dogs and the man smiled. He'd given himself a little extra reassurance that his little girl would be fine under our watch. Smart.
I see dogs left out in public all the time. Tied to a pole somewhere outside a store or restaurant and it actually horrifies me. So many things can go wrong by leaving a dog just tied alone. Someone can steal your dog; can you imagine if you came out and your dog was just gone? What if someone walks up with a little child and the child hugs your dog tight? What if your dog is not okay with strangers hugging them? Anything can happen and you have left your dog tied, to deal with it. Not okay, dogs should NEVER, EVER be tied to a post and left alone.
This man was very wise to ask us to keep an eye on his dog. Even though he could still see his little dog through the restaurant window, he added extra protection to had given her extra protection. By asking us, he instilled a protective cloak over all of us; we felt like it was our job to watch and protect her. He also had others watching her because of our discussion; everyone around was watching the little dog. He had a patio full of volunteer watchers that he had unknowingly enlisted. So when the door of the restaurant closed behind him and she started barking, no one minded. Everyone was now involved in the watchful eye over her. Smart.
She soon stopped barking and just sat frozen; she wasn't taking her eyes off the door. We ate our meal and watched her; no one was taking this little cutie, not under our watch. He had asked the right people to watch his little dog; we would protect her like our own while she was under our watch. He soon came out to her great joy. He unhooked her leash and brought her to our table to thank us. She was sweet and he shared her story. He'd had her only four years; but in those four short years you could see the love and devotion shared between them. She had been adopted from a hoarding situation where she had lived with many other dogs who were all very overweight. He told us how he'd got the weight off her and how they exercise together. Her cloudy eyes were twelve years old; but if she remains healthy they have many years to share. I told him "she's lucky to have found you" and he smiled saying "I'm the lucky one." I love stories like this.
They moved to a table further away and enjoyed their lunch together. We finished our meal and said our good-byes as we head out. I smiled at the connection they shared. I love great dog relationships and stories.
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