Angel Cooper and Chipper are our October 15, 2017 Pup of the Week

Part of being an angel is being a worrier.  It is like belonging to an exclusive club where everything is perfect, but you don’t want anyone in your family to be a member, and not in a creepy middle-aged executive hiding out at the Playboy Mansion way, but in a “if they come here they are going to be leaving all their family and their friends heartbroken” way.

We lead a terribly contradictory afterlife.  We miss our loved ones with all our hearts, but we don’t want them to join us.  Our greatest wish is our greatest fear.  

The Big Guy himself called Cooper the perfect dog, and as soon as he came here, he was determined to be the perfect angel.  He has watched over his family and siblings with an unmatched intensity.  When his beloved brother Chipper tore his ACL Cooper paced so much he could have worn out his own if our parts weren’t eternal.

At first, their mom hoped that the ACL would heal on its own.  “This is just the job for an angel,” Cooper told me.  “I am going to watch over my brother and heal that injury,”  I told him, despite our best intentions, life often had other plans, but Cooper would not believe it.  “An intensely attentive angel can achieve anything.”

If only it were so. 

Chipper’s ACL injury was not healing.  “Foley,” Cooper cried, “My brother’s leg isn’t any better.  My mother is making an appointment for surgery.  What did I do wrong?”

I assured my friend he did everything right, but sometimes, when you do, things still go very wrong.  But that did nothing to ease his worry.  He asked me how he could be assured that his brother come through surgery safely.  “Pray to the Big Guy,” I said.  “And visit your brother while he is in surgery to make sure he is not scared.”

“And that will make everything fine?”  he asked.  

“Your brother should be fine,” I assured him.

“But we have seen pups come here who were in less perilous situations,” the worried Copper said.  

I put my paw on his shoulder.  “Rarely,” I said.  “Very, very rarely.  That is why we are vigilant in prayer.  Because every single day dogs and people arrive here, who shouldn’t.  The only defenses we have are love and prayer, but they are very strong defenses.”

Blessedly, on the day of Chipper’s surgery a study surgeon’s hands, a mother’s love, a perfect angel brother's attention, and Chipper’s will combined for a successful surgery, and Chipper is now with his mom recovering.

While his mom is nursing Chipper if she sees a shadow out of the corner of her eye, or hears a faint fluttering, she should know it is her angel,  intently watching over his brother.