Our Sweet Lady

Julie Fonda March 27, 2009

After the end of my second marriage, my ex-husband gave away my beloved sheepdog without asking my permission. I was broken hearted. It was then that I decided to go to my old house and pick up Lady, our terrier-mix, before she disappeared also.

I didn’t have a house with a yard for Lady to run around in, but my apartment complex allowed small pets. So Lady and I were reunited. All day long we were holed up in our apartment except when I would periodically walk her around the grounds so that she could get a little exercise and do her business. She didn’t need a leash, either, because she followed me around like my shadow. I learned the day I collected her from my ex that he’d been sequestering Lady in a small cement dog run at my old house. Occasionally he had tossed over some food and changed her drinking water, but, for several months, that was all the attention Lady had received. Since she was a puppy, I had always given Lady a lot of my time. She must have felt confused at why she was left alone for so long. I felt sad that she had been so neglected.

Later when I married my now husband, Lady came with me as part of the package and quickly adjusted to her new digs. My new husband had two large Persian cats. When we introduced the three animals to each other, they stood transfixed until Roca, the smaller of the two cats, pounced at Lady and then darted away. Since then, they have all been fast friends.

When it’s cold outside, Lady likes to be my foot warmer and snuggles up next to my feet as I am working at my desk. At night she sleeps between us with her back pressed against me, I think just to make sure that I am still there. She likes to catch Cheezits in mid air and can catch a fly with her tongue. I have the cutest picture of Lady looking through our cat door, wishing she was small enough to fit through. When we go out for Pastrami, Lady rides along and eats French fries from the back seat. Her eyes follow me to the door whenever I leave, and when I return, she smothers me with kisses.

Lady is now thirteen years old and still as contented as ever. She spends more time sleeping and is not quite as active. But aside from being a little slower, she is still our sweet, loyal dog. I hope that Lady has several more good years ahead of her because she was my faithful friend at a time when I didn’t feel very loveable. She deserves to be happy for the rest of her days.