On the Dog Days of Summer

once, maybe twice a week, three times if i'm super lucky

i sneak off to Brooklyn and fall in love:

these babies are some of the dogs i've had the privilege of walking this summer.

each has given me a gift not only with their company but with a lesson:

Bella, with her long body and puppy-style walking, still figuring out how that tricky leash thing works,

plopped herself down next to the words you see above in the picture:

"A mini Tribe. Look it up. Thank you. - God"

and she gave me the gift of realizing i had stumbled into my very own mini tribe. a place that is bursting with love and welcomes you every time, no matter how long it's been since you've visited, no matter if you've never met each other before. the very definition of open hearts and open arms. at a time when i very much needed these things, i was lucky enough to find them. the gift of acceptance.

Dolores, with her giant puppy paws, and her love for chewing along the hemline of my skirt, had dodged death multiple times as she weaved in and out of traffic. eventually, some of the humans who stood by watching her, found some common sense and came to her aid. she was adopted then returned after a few days. but this little girl was flopping around on the floor, having the time of her life. she exudes joy and can't seem to figure out how to stop without skidding across the floor. you'd never know she's had a rough start. the gift of letting go of the past.

Colleen, a massive bundle of fur with a bright smile that spreads across her face when she recognizes me. colleen was the first pup i walked at the shelter and we've gotten several times to catch up. i tell her she's beautiful and she looks back at me and smiles, a thank you. she exudes the confidence of a woman who knows what she wants: each time she decides she's done with our walk, she. is. done. yanking me, she leads me back to the shelter, firmly and gently. almost to say "enough". the gift of knowing what you need, the gift of refusing anything except that.

and Staples. well, Staples and i fell in love, with his paws tucked under him, his eyes bright.

we met on a particularly achy day for me and there is not a trace, not an ounce, of sarcasm when i tell you he healed me up in a matter of 45 minutes. he gave me too many gifts to mention.

you can read about the lessons that he taught me here.

visiting these dogs reminds me of the beautiful truth that we really may only have this very moment together (as they might be adopted before i'm back) and so it's important to just enjoy every second. there is no need to hold on or worry they'll be gone - it's just how it is. imagine if we were that way with all of our humans: enjoying them, trusting if they're supposed to be in our lives then they will be, loving the time we're given without getting angry we didn't get more. can you imagine the peace?

i hope with my whole heart that i am able to give these incredible animals some sort of gift back. one of the great mystery's of the world, to me, is how anyone can be cruel to animals. just because they don't speak with words does not make them any less than us. they feel, they think, they love just the same.

and since they don't share in our words, it is up to us to speak up for them. if you see an animal being mistreated, holler yell scream at the top of your lungs make a fucking scene. think of the way they would come to your rescue and please do the same for them. okay - speech over :)

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if you're thinking about getting a pet, please adopt

or volunteer at your local shelter first.

your mini tribe is waiting for you, too. xo