Doritos and Sweet Tarts

Doorstep Dogs

Doritos and Sweet Tarts

They were all together on a big long front porch.  By they, I mean two little girls and one black, brown, tan and white dog.  I didn’t know where the dog came from, but I knew the girls.  They were my girls; and the dog?

It was clear that the dog was a stray.  She had matted fur and looked a little worse for wear.  We didn’t have a dog and never had.  At that time we only lived with one grumpy cat.  I knew he wouldn’t like to have a dog around and I didn’t need one more animal to take care of.  So I made one simple pronouncement to the girls.

“Don’t feed the dog!”

But, the dog didn’t leave and moved from the front porch to the back deck.  It was only about three days later when a dog’s food bowl magically appeared on the back deck and I knew the battle was over.  The dog had won and I had lost!

It wasn’t until a few years had gone by when the girls finally admitted that the dog, “Freckles,” had been prompted to stay as a result of their gifts of Doritos and Sweet Tarts.  They wanted the dog, felt sorry for her and had offered her the best food they could think of!  That was the first pure bred doorstep dog that came to live with us.

The next one came a few years later.  My wife was out walking Freckles when they happened upon another mostly black dog lying in the ditch just up the road from our house.  She was thin and didn’t look well.  But, she was strong enough to follow them home.  When they arrived, I said, “Don’t feed the dog.  One is enough!”

The next day brought a new collar, leash and bowl.  Once again the pure bread doorstep dog had won.  We were now a family of people with one cat and two dogs.  But, things change with time.

After eighteen years our cat had lived out his life.  The next year Freckles also gave up the ghost.  Their pictures still grace our family photo wall and they are dearly missed.

A few weeks ago our last dog “Cricket” was running happily in the yard and came up lame.  We thought it was a simple sprain or a small wound on her pad.  When it didn’t heal my wife took her to the doctor to see what the problem was.  It turned out to be a torn ACL.  She needed surgery to restore the use of her leg.

The cost estimate was large, but the decision to spend the money was easy.  After all, she is more than just a pure bred doorstep dog.  She’s part of the family and you can’t put a monetary value on that!  And, as I have been thinking about Cricket, Freckles and Simba “Binx,” my mind went back to one thing my Uncle Jerry had taught me long ago.

I went to visit Uncle Jerry and he had a new dog at his farm.  I asked him where he got the dog.  He said, “I went to the animal shelter.”

Said I, “How did you choose the right dog?”

“I just bring the dog who knows me home!”

It’s a lesson I’ve always remembered.  Spend your life with those who want to be with you and you’ll never go wrong.  We love them because they loved us first!