It’s April 15. You know what that means. Well, maybe you don’t. This is the date I set last November when our sweet dog Charlie died. I decided that I shouldn’t think of getting another dog until April 15^th because we had a lot of travelling to do before that date. It is the fifteenth of April as I write and now the travel is done and the house feels mighty empty. What’s next? I have to be careful because I will probably take the next available dog I see.

It isn’t surprising that Jim and I have ended up liking the freedom and flexibility we’ve enjoyed these past four months. We could travel and not think about a dog sitter. We could stay out until 3 AM and not worry about the poor dog’s bursting bladder. It was nice to be totally animal-concern free. But I’ve missed having a dog. I’ve missed the connection, the friend who doesn’t talk back, the unconditional love. To this day, I have yet to open the front door without expecting the happy barks and sweet kisses. I thought that expectation would have ended long ago.

An innovative idea I’ve had is to share a dog with a neighbor – someone who works all day and whose dog would love coming to our house to play with us. That way we could have our cake and eat it too, so to speak. We could watch Rover while the other “parents” are on trips and they could watch Rover when we are away. It seems like a great idea. I’ve even gone scouting to see what dogs are out at 8 AM. I’ve seen a few possibilities – a good owner, the right-sized dog, one who loves to play with other dogs, and likes to swim in the nearby creek. Over and over, I thought, “Maybe that’s the right dog?” But then I get overwhelmed with the quandary and wonder if the whole idea would even be satisfying?

Today being April 15, I went online to look at the dogs up for adoption. Oh dear, that was a mistake! I want a lot of them. I am filled with longing. I want my own fluffy dog who knows I am her/his best friend. I want to rush right out and snatch up one of those Belgian shepherds I saw. (It’s a good thing they are all spoken for!) But I think I should try the dog-sharing idea first. I think that’s what I should do.

I’m sure that by next week, one dog or another will be at my feet as I type. Maybe my heart will be in shreds by then, agonizing over which one is the one. In the meanwhile, I keep remembering Lassie, Muggs, Snap, Tinka, Jessie, Benny, and Charlie, my companions for sixty years of my life. I am ready to have my heart filled one more time.

©2008, Jacqueline Hale