Foley Tries To Keep Bishop's Promise

The things I do to make a friend happy.
I got a direct message from my friend Bishop this week. He adopted a pet snake named Mr. Belvedere.   Bishop loves all creatures so it is not surprising that he would adopt a snake. I try to avoid the vile beings, but I am not in the position to tell a dog who they should and shouldn’t love.

Then something happened  I did not expect. First Mr. Belevedere passed over the river of life, not surprising because all beings must, then Bishop asked me to let Mr. Belevedere live with Bishop’s family at Doggyspace.  Of course, I promised I would.
But it really wasn’t my place to promise.  It was up to the Group Of Dogs who oversee Doggyspace.  I often have to go before them to defend my decision making or ask for special favors.  They are never happy to see me, and this favor was a doozy.

“Absolutely not,” the most senior member of the board barked at me.  “We cannot have snakes wiggling on the ground scaring all our angels.”

“Well,” I said slowly, “he might not be wiggling because he will have wings.”

“A flying snake!” The dog barked. “Are you daft? Remove yourself from our presence immediately.”

I backed out of the room.  I had failed my friend. But I knew I had one more tool in my arsenal.  Love.

I went to BIshop’s brother Apollo and told him the Board’s decision.  He was dismayed. Then we formed a plan. He went to the snake part of Rainbow Bridge, a vile, terrible place, with billions of snakes of different shapes and sizes all hissing at us.  We ran towards the Bridge as Mr. Belvedere arrived. Instead of letting him go to the snake land where we would never find him, Apollo told Mr. Belvedere that he was Bishop’s brother, got the snake to trust him, and, when Apollo opened his mouth the snake climbed in.  I jumped on Apollo’s back, and he outran the snakes back to our section of the Bridge.

Apollo opened his mouth, and Mr. Belvedere wiggled out.  I said we needed to go before the Board to get their approval for him to stay at Doggyspace.  Apollo assured Mr. Belvedere that I am a fantastic attorney who was going to convince the board that he should stay.  I wish I were as confident as Apollo.

Apollo and I brought Mr. Belvedere before the Board.  When the doors opened the members saw the snake, and they climbed on the table.  “Get that thing out of here!” one of them yelled.

“Please,” I said. “Let’s not get carried away.  I know it is unconventional, but Mr. Belvedere is part of Apollo’s family.  He is loved by Apollo’s brother Bishop. Isn’t Rainbow Bridge a place where, when you pass from the mortal world, you get to be with loved ones?   Bishop will want to see Mr. Belvedere again when he arrives. That is what this place is for, to reunite loved ones.”

“But it’s a snake!” a female poodle shrieked.

Mr. Belvedere scared them by standing straight up.  He then addressed the Board: “It may be unconventional, but I love Bishop.  I was his pet, and he’s my dad. If I cannot live happily with Apollo at the Bridge, we will go live with the snakes. At least they are inclusive.”

The Board felt ashamed.  The leader nodded and said that Mr. Belvedere could stay, but he needed to understand some dogs might be scared

“Then it is my job to educate them,” Mr. Belvedere said.  The Board agreed

And that is how Doggyspace got it’s first snake occupant, with wings.