With summer approaching, my calendar’s color codes reflect where I will be dogsitting and housesitting. All the families who call on my caretaking services have dogs (each family has more than one, in fact). The pets and I are on a first-name basis.
This summer I may have to take two of the dogs on a walk through the pearly gates. End-of-pet-life discussions have been conducted, and I made each family sign “Do Not Resuscitate” documents. At their request, the deceased canine will be wrapped in a towel (preferably the kind used in the garage) and placed in the deep freeze. This way the beloved family pet is preserved until the family returns and carries out their planned burial or cremation.
Being sensitive to the fact that the surviving pets may grieve the loss of their sibling, I will be available for grief sessions: extra belly rubs, brushing, extra dog treats, singing “Bingo Was His Name-O” but substituting Sadie or Lucie or Rosie or Bruno.
I certainly hope none of these scenarios plays out. The companionship of dogs is invaluable anytime but especially when housesitting. They make me feel loved, feel safer, and feel needed. We really do talk, and they really do listen. Maggie barks when the doorbell rings on TV, Flynn sleeps on my lap during naptime in the recliner, and Sadie and I both love snack time after those naps. Rosie and Bruno, the German Shepherds, keep me active with games of fetch. I retrieve pretty well, even with two bad knees.
Years ago, my constant pet companions of eleven years were euthanized just weeks apart. It is no laughing matter, so please do not assume the satirical nature of this column is heartless. My cousins, my niece and her family, my daughter and her family, and my sister and brotherin- law are entrusting me with some special family members. But I am thankful they have relieved me of liability if and when “the time comes” while they are away.
Here's to the pets who belong to the ones I love. May they live at least until the end of July.
Snyder, Texas, native Sue Jane Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher whose thought-provoking commentary appears occasionally in several West Texas newspapers, including The Texas Spur and The Caprock Courier.
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