To Our Best Friend, Sandy: 1996-2009.
"Man's Best Friend"
"Whether you think of them as "man's best friend" or the mortal enemy of effective lawn care, the last full week of September is devoted to the celebration of all things dog.
Started in 1928 by Captain Will Judy, a noted dog judge and former publisher and editor of Dog World Magazine, the basic point of Dog Week is to educate all dog owners in their responsibilities to their pets and to their communities, particularly those organizations dedicated to caring for unwanted or lost dogs.
There are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world and not all of them are lucky enough to have caring owners like you. Animal shelters are always in need of volunteers to walk and play with dogs, clean kennels, bathe and groom animals, and more.
If you don't have the nose for such work, you could also organize a pet food drive in your neighborhood to collect food, toys, blankets and various other items that shelters are constantly in need of. You can also contact your local shelter for more ideas of how to help."
I have always loved animals and especially the dogs we've had as a family. I actually had a job in the past where I got to work with dogs all day long! For some of you that may seem like no fun, but for me, I loved it! So, I'm warning you now...I've got a lot to mention about Sandy. I spent a lot of time with her and of course loved her very much!
As a family we've seen Sandy's health declining this past year and unfortunately, as her owner had the responsibility and tough decision after 16 years of life with us, to help ease her pain and suffering; I won't elaborate on those details. I just want to say first that if dogs have a sort of mission in life to fulfill, she did it well. We know she is better off now and I will always have grateful memories of the time she spent with us as a part of our "pack".
Sandy was our family's and my dear friend, and just sweetness. She was very intelligent too and I suppose I was sort of proud of her ability to learn new tricks. She could open the screen door (I promise I didn't teach her to rip the screen door, or to knock it down.) She knew when I was asking her to go around from the back yard to the garage either by speaking the request or by pointing the direction she should go to get to the garage even when the sliding glass door was shut. That always seemed to surprise me that she got that and loved it. Duh-it could be because we gave her lots of jerky treats and Pup-r-oni's when we met up at the garage! ;) That doesn't take very long to figure out that one! She could jump up and catch the treat, roll over, give hugs and give you 5's (one paw) and even 10 (two paws) when you'd put your arm out in front of you. Yes, she could do that and more. Sadly, when scared and/or while we were away, we learned she could even scale our side yard fence and chew her way through the solid wood gate to try to be with us, or get to safety- poor Sandy. She'd frequent the local shelter due to her curious nose leading her on escapades down the street through the green eucalyptus trees and then head on over to the park across the street. Sometimes she was sheltered temporarily by a concerned family within a block from us for an hour or so until they contacted us usually bewildered at how we could let such a cute dog out of our sight. She was sneaky at times, but that went away. She had got so Dad could wash the car out front and she'd just mosey around the yard sniffing and checking her markings wagging her tail when people passed by. Except for other dogs, she kind of went nutty when they came around. Sadly it was only until she moved to Tustin that Dad got her to relax when approached by dogs on her walks. Dad, the dog whisperer! Sandy loved to be inside with us. She was a Christmas present in 1996 and that was the first day in a long time we had a dog in the house all day. After a while, her home needed to be moved outside due to allergies and dander-we were told ;) wink, but there were still many a times when she had been snuck in by someone, I won't say who, so she could join us in our room for the night. However, she was allowed in on special occasions and of course, every Christmas Day. Although not very good for the carpet, she loved sliding around the main floor after a good bath and was very content warming in the sun afterwards keeping watch out the front window by the piano. I loved how white her fur looked gleaming in the sun and when she was completely dry, the sweet smell she had, and the softness of her floppy ears. Oh, I almost forgot! She loved to play with the soccer ball with us in the back yard! She would try and get the ball with her nose and legs and chase it. Could have been all those years of watching us play soccer in the back yard, I don't know. But we thought our dog was pretty cool. She was. She loved getting her hair brushed, tummy rubs, and after getting all cleaned up, laying in her favorite dirt spot either by the side of the house or under the porch. I think her favorite toys were those dog toy animals with the stretchy part in the middle she'd hold one end in her mouth and while lying on her back and try to catch and grasp between her paws the face or head of the animal and just gnaw at it until she would eventually figure out how to get all the stuffing out. Or, there was the red ball with the handle she'd try to throw it up in the air and try and catch it again. She really liked doing that. She some how manage to puncture the ball with her teeth and flatten it just as soon as the fun was getting started. She liked going with us for rides in the car, but not for long trips. Oh, poor Sandy. She loved her new home in Tustin and got used to the surroundings and enjoyed the walks around the block. I'm sure I'm leaving more out. If anyone reading this can think of anything else, please feel free to contribute a comment. She was a great dog...our best pal, SANDY!
Last Photo of Sandy
