Foley's Tales From Rainbow Briidge: A Dog Walks into a Bar

 

When I was a mortal pup, there were rumors that I would sneak out at night and go to a neighborhood bar called “Smitty’s.” My mom said it was only in my dreams, but how would she know?

“Dogs aren’t allowed in bars,” Mommy told me.

That doesn’t sound fair. Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.

While my bar hopping may have been the thing of dreams, one dog made it a reality.

Bear is not the typical Shih Tzu. He loved a good adventure and took many with his mom. But when they both became seniors, his mom lost the adventurous spirit, while Bear maintained.

On January 24, Bear was in his backyard patrolling on his own. He began to get thirsty and barked for his mom, but she watched Judge Judy and didn’t hear him. The day before, Bear had heard one human remark to the other about the watering hole down the street. It sure sounded good to Bear, who, after giving one long look back at the house, followed the smell of peanuts and stale beer down the street to a bar.

When Judge Judy went on break, Jenny, Bear’s mom, looked out the back window to check on her boy and was shocked to find the yard empty and the gate open. Frantic, she was out the door, neither locking nor grabbing a jacket.

Jennie had good reason to panic. Bear was a senior, had a heart condition, had no survival skills, and was going blind. She slowly walked down the road with tears in her eyes, calling his name.

With shaking hands, Jennie took out her phone and left Bear’s picture on local Facebook pages and those of her friends, with an accompanying caption saying he was missing.

Five minutes later, she got a text: “Your dog is at Finx.”

It was followed by a photo to remove all doubt. It was of Bear sitting on a stool, his paws on the bar, smiling widely.

When she arrived, Bear nodded to her mates, then jumped down and ran to his mom.

Relieved, she asked how he had got there and was told two revelers found him in the street and took the old boy to the bar for safekeeping.

She gratefully bought a round and told the customers Bear wouldn’t bother there again, and she got a dozen responses saying he was welcome there anytime.

But, the next time, he should bring his mom.