He’s short and black, and he has gray around his eyes now, and the white around his paws still reminds me of when I picked him out when he we just 12 weeks old. Every morning and every night he greets me and he is just as excited to see me as he was that very first day over 7 years ago when he chose me. Toby is my long time friend, my confidant, my four legged pal. I don’t know where I’d be without him today. He has saved my life and showed me how to live life from my heart.
Many of you know that it’s really the dog who chooses you, and I learned that for myself with Toby.
It was June 2006, and I had decided that I wanted to find a forever friend and bring him home to his forever home so I started looking around. Long ago, when I was a child, I had a dog, but when you are young and your parents help you care for your pets it doesn’t always feel like “your” dog. So this time, I was 22 years old and I figured I might be old enough and responsible enough to have my own dog. So I started looking. You see, I thought that I was going to be choosing a dog. Many of you know that it’s really the dog who chooses you, and I learned that for myself with Toby.
I spent a week or two checking out a lot of local places, reading the paper, and letting a few friends know I was looking. On a whim one day, I decided to pull into Rescue Village on 306 in Novelty and see what I might find there. I was pretty convinced that I was going to pick an older dog out. Older dogs are well behaved, house trained, and of all the dogs in a shelter, they are the easiest to bring home and acclimate to your home.
I wish I could remember your name because that was the day you connected me with my best friend, my pal, Toby.
I walked in and was helped by one of the wonderful volunteers there. I wish I could remember your name because that was the day you connected me with my best friend, my pal, Toby. As I entered the room where the dogs live, they all started to bark excitedly knowing that it was someone’s lucky day and everyone of them hoped it would be their day. Back then, and even today when I visit there, I wish I could take every single one of them home. Their beautiful faces tug at my heart, and I want each one of them to find a friend that they can call a friend for life.
After a couple rounds walking around and letting each of them sniff me to get to know who I was, I decided to open one of the cages that had two small black lab / husky mix puppies in it. They were brothers and their names were Creme Brûlée and Mousse. Creme Brûlée had two light blue eyes and Mousse had one brown eye and one blue eye. I had decided to get to know these two, because of everyone there, they just stood up on the cage door and wagged their tails excitedly. They didn’t bark or whine, they just enthusiastically shook their entire little bodies as I knelt down to say hello.
There is nothing like puppy kisses.
As I knelt down they both came over, jumped up on my lap and licked my face. They were so excited to see me, and I told them I wanted more than anything to take them both home, but I knew I would have to decide on just one of them. At least I thought I was the one who was doing the deciding. I leaned down and asked them both if they wanted to come home with me. The one with blue eyes jumped up and promptly peed on my shoe and then gave me a kiss on the cheek. So it was decided, he had chosen me as his new best friend, and it was settled.
I remember each step of the day from there on out. Toby sat with me while I filled out his adoption papers, and I got him a new collar and leash. He happily walked out the door with me to climb into my truck and start the last part of the journey he would take out of there to his new forever home.
Little did I know, that Toby would be one of my nearest and dearest friends who would carry me through the next 7 years of my life.
From the first day I met Toby, he and I have understood each other. When I put him in the back seat of my truck, I explained to him that he should lie down because it was safer, and so he lay down. When we got home, and I showed him his crate and how he needed to let me know if he wanted to go outside to use the bathroom. He got the concept in just a few short days. The more time I spent with him, the more we understood each other. I remember those early days; he was full of energy, rambunctious and excited about every new discovery, every new day. Little did I know, that Toby would be one of my nearest and dearest friends who would carry me through the next 7 years of my life. But that’s another story for another day.
Portage Animal Protective League has some super cool dogs who would be just as wonderful as Toby has been for Gabe. Why not check them out? Click on any picture for more information about each one.
