Monday Question

Does your name have any significant meaning?

Pocket: The day I met my parents they remarked that I was so small I could be smuggled out in a pocket.

River Song:  I was named after a character in Doctor Who and because my parents thought the name was pretty.

Guardian the Dog who Lives Up to His Name

Like all creatures, dogs have fears.  The biggest one is that something will happen to our parents.  That goes with our second biggest fear, being homeless.  If we lost our parents, not only would we be beyond heartbroken, but if no one took us in, we would have to live on the outside. The only comforting thought about being homeless is if we could have a dog family member with so we weren’t alone.

 A pup, who the humans have named Guardian, was homeless with his sister in the city.  Life was difficult, but the two of them made their way, always watching one another’s’ backs and giving each other someone warm to cuddle with at night.  They were inseparable.
It was a dangerous existence. They would have to fight for food and dart across roads.  They did it successfully for a year, but one of the truths about living on the edge is inevitably you fall.

One morning Guardian and his sister were crossing the highway when she got hit.  Her soul left her body like it had been fired from a rocket.  She sprung from the River of Life confused and began looking for her brother, unable to remember what brought her here. She refused to cross the Bridge without Guardian.

A soul only has a limited amount of time to cross the Bridge or they won’t be allowed to access the immortal side.  They are doomed to roam the earth as ghosts, a lonely and ghastly existence.  We have a select few angels who have lived at the Bridge for decades and have no family on the mortal side, or any reason to go back, who are allowed to cross over and persuade the reluctant pup to join us.  Luckily, on this day, they were successful  Guardian’s sister crossed the Bridge, and once I swore her in, she was placed with a wonderful family so she could live with the love denied her as a mortal.

Before she could begin her life as an angel, we had to go with her as ghosts to the mortal side because Guardian refused to leave her remains and snapped at the people who were trying to help him.  When his sister appeared to him in a form, none of the humans could see his eyes filled with tears.  That is when she remembered the truth.  They had both dreamed about being adopted, but she didn’t think it was likely for them to be chosen as a couple.  She was sure that Guardian would be a much better pet than she would be, so she sacrificed herself.  She knew Guardian would never leave her, so she had to leave him.  His first steps away from her would be the first steps towards his forever home. When Guardian stayed by her side, he became famous for being loyal and loving.  Fame is critical when you want to be adopted.

Guardian did not want to say goodbye until his sister promised to visit him every night in his dreams, where they could rummage through dumpsters together, chase street vermin, and lie in the sun all day long.  But now, Guardian had to live the mortal life they both deserved, with a family, and love.  His sister said that was all she needed to finally be at peace.

Guardian relented and went with the rescuers.  The video of him protecting his sister soon went viral.  Guardian became famous, and soon he found his forever home, where he is happy, not just for himself but for his sister too.

Being on separate sides of the River cannot keep them from being together.  Nothing can.

Dreyfuss, the Little Dog in the Middle of the Big Mess

I am getting tired of people misbehaving and their dogs being the ones to suffer.

    The entire world knows what happened in the part of Central Park known as the Bramble, where bird watchers congregate to see several different species, including ground birds.  That is one of the many reasons that dogs should be on a leash in the Bramble.  A loose dog will disturb the ground birds.

    Amy Cooper let her recently adopted dog Dreyfuss off his leash in the Bramble.  She was confronted by a black man named Christian Cooper, who was bird watching.  He asked Amy to leash Dreyfuss so he wouldn’t disturb the birds.  She reacted by calling the police and falsely saying the man was threatening her.  Christian recorded the exchange, put it on Facebook, and soon the video went viral.

    While she did lose her job, Amy Cooper was not criminally charged for her actions.  But, as usual, it was the most innocent party involved who paid the highest price.   Dreyfuss was returned to the Abandoned Cocker Spaniel Rescue.

    I take great offense to that decision.  Dreyfuss was let loose in the Bramble by his mom and did as any dog would, he ran around, chased birds, and enjoyed the day.  He didn’t break free or disobey anyone.  He was not aware he was breaking the rules, yet he is the one who loses his family and freedom?  Talk about persecution. It just goes to prove that no matter what happens, humans will always blame dogs.

According to the Rescue, they are keeping Dreyfuss until their investigation is over.  I don’t know how this benefits him.  His mom hasn’t been criminally charged, although she did show terrible judgment by first letting Dreyfuss run where he shouldn’t, then not just leashing Dreyfuss when she was told to do so, and finally by calling the police on Christian and creating the story that he threatened her.  Sure, she is a racist and a bigot who tried to frame Christian for a crime he did not commit and wanted the police to go all Central Park Five on his ass, but if racists weren’t allowed to have dogs, there would be a lot more dogs in shelters now.

I went to visit Dreyfuss, who is back in a foster home, and very confused.  He was having a fantastic day at the park.  He was running free, sniffing all the smells there was to sniff, and he met a nice man who wanted to give him treats and took a video of him, then his mom grabbed him by the collar, and she began to freak out, which caused Dreyfuss to freak out because anxiety travels down the leash.  A few hours after the incident, the phone started ringing, such a bother when you are a tired dog who was just running in the park, and his mom became very upset. Then the rescue came and removed him from his home.

Dreyfuss is sorry if he did anything wrong.  He wants to go back to his mom, but if she doesn’t want him, or can't keep him, he will gladly go to another family, preferably one further removed from the Third Reich than the previous one.  If he is put up for adoption, it shouldn’t be hard for him to find a new home.  Dogs that go “viral” are always quick to be placed with a fresh family.

I hope Dreyfuss is either allowed back to his mom’s house or finds a home, and he no longer suffers from stupid patent syndrome.

(This morning, for better or worse, Dreyfuss was returned to his mom.)

At Long Last Pocket Gets Groomed

I have been walking in a daze for weeks.  My hair has grown so long I can’t see two feet in front of me.  When I curl up, I am sickened by the smell, and then I realize that smell is me!  I am two inches taller because my nails have not been cut in three months.  My anal glands are packed like a family of six going on vacation in a VW bug. Every day I hope the groomer will open, and by sunset, when I hadn’t got as much as a snip, I pray that tomorrow I can smell the sweet scent of dog shampoo fresh from the bottle. 
    My mom has tried to bathe me.  I give her credit for the attempt, but when J.Lo goes out on the town, she doesn’t want her mom styling her. She has a whole team.  If J. Lo went this long without her team working on her, she wouldn’t be dating A-Rod. She would be regulated to a random Knick.
    On Wednesday morning, I saw no sign that the day would be any different than the 80 days that preceded it.  We ate breakfast, my parents showered and prepared for another fascinating day of doing nothing.  Then Daddy got the dusty car seats out of the closet.  I was the first to see them and began to bark like an intact dog who finally smelled a lollipop in heat.  River followed the sound of my yips, and she began to bark too.  We were going somewhere, and there was only one place we ever go to.
    We were placed in our car carriers. They are like backpacks that are secured in the back seat.  As soon as I am in one, I try to worm my way out.  There is nothing worse than a half stuck Pocket on the freeway.
    It took us twenty minutes of barking every time we slowed down, me wiggling, River grunting, Mommy telling us to be quiet, and the back window getting fogged up before we arrived at the groomer.  Mommy and Daddy struggled to get us out of our carriers because they were trying to remove us from the top, and we insisted on going out the bottom even if there is no exit that way. My parents usually carry us in, but one of the groomers came out to get us.  Then I realized they were all wearing masks, and I panicked that we weren’t getting groomed but had been recruited to be in some sort of posse. 
    We were placed in a cage together while the groomers worked on dogs who were as equally grotesque.  The water flowed brown from dirt and who knew what else.  Finally, it was my turn.  First, I received a warm bath, with professional hands that knew how to softly massage my hair and measure the perfect mixture of shampoo and water.  Once I smelled beautiful, I got my hair cut.  I could see the world again, and it looked….well, at least I could see.  Then my nails were trimmed, so I no longer made an infuriating click-clack sound when I walked. It took less than a half-hour for me to transform back to my beautiful state, far from the ragamuffin who had entered the establishment.  Then, it was Reiver’s turn, which took longer, because, as talented as they groomers are, they had less to work with.
    When we were both done, we were carried outside to what I thought would be meet my new posse we found our parents waiting for us.  They said how beautiful we were, which we knew, but it is nice to hear. Soon, we were in our car and on the way home, planning our walk around the neighborhood to bring joy to the embattled residents.
    Getting clean was our first step have to normal. We hope it spreads.

Wordless Wednesday

Beat This Capton

It's okay Mary, I will go to Prom with you and unlike Timmy I won't sniff your friends' butts

Monday Question

If there was a television or movie starring you what would it be called?
POCKET:  Little Pockets of Lover
RIVER SONG:  The Stare