A dog named Tiny is our March 2, 2014 Pup of the Week

As you can imagine, in my official capacity as one of the Judges who swears in newly arriving pups at Rainbow Bridge I make my first acquaintance with many dogs during their initial crossing.  Some I come to know, some others disappear to be with their friends and family in the mountains or downriver,  and some, if they are lucky, move up river where their humans live.  On February 20, while performing my duties, I met a small black min pin named Tiny who had spent nearly ten years on the mortal side of the Bridge with his loving Mom.   While he had friends waiting for him he was more concerned about his Mom.

So I told Tiny to follow me and we scampered down the hill to the River of Life.  I nosed one of the shiny pebbles washed up by the waves to him, told him to nose it into the River and think of his Mom.  He did (he was quite well trained) and then I saw his Mom and she was having a terrible time with his passing.

I sat him down and asked him if his Mom was involved in dog social networking.  “You mean people who go online to write about their dog’s every little poop, fart, and twinge obsessively worrying and commenting on things until they are written about to death?” he asked.  I said yes, and he said no.  I found that odd.

So I told him how to go down into his Mom’s dreams, and tell her to join this group called Doggyspace because there she would find lots of pup’s Moms who went through what she was going through and they could help her heal.  Like the well trained loving dog that Tiny is, he did so, and soon his Mom found her way on to DS and began to feel the wave of love and understanding that such sites can provide grieving parents, as my parents can certainly attest.

Soon new friends were posting blogs saying there was a new member on the site who needed help and dozens of friend requests filled his inbox and in each friendship his Mom found someone who had been where she had been and was willing to help.  Soon Tommy Tunes had done a picture tribute, and a dog who, when he was on the mortal side of the River had no online friends, was now known across the country and over oceans.

When I introduced myself to Tiny’s Mom I humbly told her that I was “kind of a big deal.”  But the truth is all dogs are big deals, even Tiny ones, especially in their Mom’s heart, and even if he is not well known, and did not leave a huge social media impact, he is a very big deal.

With a big duty ahead of him.  He now needs to find the right pup to help heal his Mom’s broken heart.  I know he’ll be able to do it.

Sometimes it takes a Tiny dog.