Wagging Tales Of
DOGS AND CATS

I was the eldest of three boys and we all loved dogs. But because both of our parents worked, having a dog of our own was not yet an option. More often than not, the universe steps in with a solution. Or in this particular case, a fun, but also temporary solution walked right past me as I was coming home from school. 

Lucky, the name I gave him at that moment, was a scraggly looking older dog, medium size in my eight year old eyes, with blotchy skin, thinning hair, and miraculously, when you think about it, a wagging tail. I approached him cautiously, as he stood within a few feet of me. I reached my hand out slowly, and he crept closer. When he got close enough to my hand, he gave me a few licks. That was it. “Wanna come home with me, I asked.”  He seemed to nod yes, and we walked together  the last few blocks to my house on Lawndale Avenue in the Chicago neighborhood known as Peterson Park. It was where I spent the first twenty two years of my life.

I poured water into a bowl and placed it in front of him. Lucky drank with gusto. It could have been a while since he was served water or anything else. While he satisfied his thirst, I went into the fridge and pulled out some fried chicken and made him a big plate. His tail wagged all the way through his lunch and we just hung out on the front steps of our home waiting for mom or dad.  Dad was first, and being a dog lover himself, was not too upset with this unexpected addition. However, after getting a close up look at Lucky, my dad told me we would have to take him to a dog hospital. First for a checkup, and then to a shelter. I didn’t see it with my eyes, but my dad could tell that Lucky was not in the best of health. Our time together was short, but it opened up all our hearts and my dad and I went to a shelter soon after and got our own first dog.

Little did I know, that this early dog experience would set the stage for my much later in life chapter as a traveling dog sitter. As dog owners can all attest to, we tend to outlive our dogs and we all must learn to deal with that heartbreaking moment. There has been much more awareness on this moment in a dog and families life these days, with veterinarians explaining that when the time comes to say good-bye, it is important to be in the room with your pet. They need you and know when you are there and when you are not. I learned after too many times of not being made aware of this tragic moment and it still bothers me when I read a story about a dog’s passing.

My traveling pet sitter days began with a sweet rescue dog named Tango, at beautiful Fremantle Beach in Perth Australia. It was so much fun walking him around town, meeting new people who stopped to talk to us and experiencing the love and affection of a dog once again. I sure missed it, and being a bit of a nomad these days, pet sitting fills my heart without having to live in a permanent home to have a dog to love and take care of. And after Perth, I had amazing adventures in Aukland New Zealand, Devonport New Zealand, Washington DC, The incredible Shenandoah Valley of Virginia taking care of two cattle dogs on a working cattle ranch. And the list goes on. 

I work with a couple of websites that match up pet sitters with pets. It’s very similar to a dating website. I have my photos and references and a short bio of who I am and why I want to be a pet sitter. Thanks to the many great reviews left by my hosts, I am always busy and pick and choose where I want to. 

One of my favorite dogs is a sweet Golden Doodle in Los Angeles. I’ve been with him three times now, starting when he was just a year old puppy. His humans were off on a two month holiday to Spain and about a week into my assignment, they called to tell me it was his birthday coming up in a a day or two. Well- “did you want me to invite his friend over,” I asked? Ha. 

People and their dogs is just so sweet and funny and amazing these days. No one wants their pets in a kennel anymore- they are to be spoiled at home and treated like royalty. SO, I went to Target and got my little pal some doggy ice cream and a happy birthday hat which he proudly let me put on his head for photos. I took a great video of him enjoying his ice cream and running around the yard with his birthday hat on and sent to his people. They loved it. And then they knew they had the right man for the job of taking care of their four legged baby.

I stayed an extra night when mom and dad got home and they were so happy to see their boy. They coaxed him into their bedroom to sleep with them and in the middle of the night, he started barking. They thought he had to go out to do his business kind of thing, but as soon as they opened the door, he ran into my room. They were momentarily upset but also happy. They told me a little later, that he slept in my bedroom for a few days waiting to see if I would return. Dogs. They love you forever. I will see my little Doddle dog soon and can’t wait.

The love and affection of the dogs is why I do it and is my answer whenever people ask me why I am doing this at this stage of life, senior citizen and all. That is the true reward, although I have to be honest and say I really enjoy staying in spectacular homes with great backyards and pools and spas and even a car or two to drive. All in all, I found this path the same way most of us find everything we value in life- kind of by accident. It’s the universe at work. Pay attention people. 

Peace, Love, Namaste.

Fred