The Pull of a Pet January 10, 2023

In January 2022, as part of my new-year musings, I resolved to get a dog. The year came and went, and still I have no dog. 

I had made this resolution mainly to boost my spirits. After my tuxedo cat Pogo had died in 2021 (on my birthday, as a matter of fact), my loneliness became more acute. Bringing a dog into my life, I reasoned, would augment my health, well-being, and circle of friends, not to mention provide a good home for a rescue animal. 

More than a decade before that resolution, when Annie was still in high school, she and I had adopted a five-month old puppy with curly black fur, floppy white paws, and a sweet pink tongue. Her name was Daisy, and we were both thrilled. 

I had only a week with Daisy, though, before I faced the agonizing decision to return her to the SPCA. On the plus side, she was smart, well-trained, and agreeable. We enjoyed our walks, and I got to know my neighbors. Daisy was good on-leash and off-leash at Crissy Field, running into the Bay and returning to me when I called her. And she sat patiently outside the window of a coffee shop when I met friends. 

But, as puppies do, she had a bit of a chewing problem. Day 2 she chewed a shoe. Day 3 she chewed a table leg. Day 5 she chewed the window shades. All of that was to be expected. But on Day 6, she chewed Pogo. 

Well, maybe not “chewed” exactly – and here I will give her the benefit of the doubt – maybe she just wanted to play. Pogo and Daisy tumbled down the stairs in a chaotic and noisy embrace, and as soon as he got the chance, Pogo ran out the back door and didn’t come home till the next day. It seemed that this relationship was doomed, so back to the SPCA I went, with Daisy and Annie. I was in full-scale bawling mode when I told the staff that I had to return her, but they gently replied that a man in Oakland had been calling every day to see whether Daisy had been returned. As so, sadly I relinquished my little friend, and I’ve been remorseful about this decision ever since. I was already in love with her. 

So, what’s it going to be for 2023? Will a little pet enter my life again? I surf the humane society websites, I even visit them in person now that COVID conditions are relaxed. But still, how can I make this leap. I have every excuse, and no excuse. It is a leap of faith, and I’m going to need someone to push me.