This week I innerviewed Sarge O’Neal, a sturdy, good-lookin’ pooch with a real important job. He looks sorta Lab-ish, but he’s ackshully a mix of Giant Schnauzer, Coon Hound, German Shepherd an Terrier.
He came right up for the Wag-an-Sniff, introduced his Mom, Debbie, an greeted my assistant with welcoming slurps. When we were all comf-tubble in the living room, I got out my notebook.
“So where should I start?” he asked.
“Just tell about how you found your Forever Family an what your life’s been like.”
“It’s kinda complicated. Before I joined the family, my future Mom and my future brother Brandon had lost their huz-bun and dad, Thomas. It was a very sad time for them, an it was extra hard, too, cuz Brandon (he’s 28) has aw-tism, which means he needs lotsa special TLC.
“Mom couldn’t do it by herself, so she decided to get a trained service dog. But she found out it’d cost lots of munny, a buncha thousands, which she didn’t have.”
“Woof!” I exclaimed. “I didn’t ree-lize that.”
“PLUS, there was a 2-year wait. So she decided to get a shelter puppy and train it. The first shelter didn’t have any puppies, so she went to the Port St. Lucie Humane Society, but they were outta puppies, too. She noticed a coupla older dogs way at the back and wondered why they got brought to the shelter. One of ’em wasn’t barking, just sitting quietly. The shelter lady said he’d been dropped off the day after Christmas and was going through a lifestyle change.”
“Woof! The day after Christmas. That’s harsh,” I said. “I get a feeling, um, was that you, Sarge?”
“Yep. I was confused. I thought I’d been a good dog. I’d tried to be as helpful and o-bee-dee-unt as I could, but I got dropped off just the same. The lady told Mom I knew some commands and she thought I’d been a vet’s service dog. I did the usual Sit, Stay, Down, Come routine for Mom. She looked kind, an she gave me a liddle Pity Pat. But when the lady asked if she wanted me, Mom said she just didn’t know. The lady whisked me away, an Mom left. It was a real Downward Dog moment.
“Later I found out that Mom had planned to get some lunch then keep lookin’ for a puppy, when something said to her, ‘Go back and get your dog!’”
“Shut the doghouse door!”
“I know. Weird, right? I dunno what it was, but she came right back to the shelter and said, ‘I want Sarge.’ A different shelter lady told Mom she’d heard I could do something with keys. The lady tossed her keys on the ground an I picked ’em up an put ’em on the counter. An Mom rescued me, Thank Lassie!”
“Talk about perfect timing! What was it like with your new family?”
“When Brandon saw me he got so excited, he squealed an started running to me. Mom was like, ‘Oh, No!’ cuz she thought I’d get excited, too, an bark or jump up or run away. But somehow I unnerstood that takin’ care of Brandon was gonna be my Special Job. I donno how I knew, I just did. So I bumped him gently to distract him and slow him down, so we could get to know each other. Then I looked at Mom to see what she wanted me to do next. She had accidently found the perfect pooch to help her an Brandon. I’m ackshully his pooch. I keep him walkin’ and active. I’m with him at the Special Olympics, too. And I help Mom pick up stuff and carry stuff, like Brandon’s laundry an the Christmas decorations last year.”
“That’s a pawsome story, Sarge.”
“But there’s more. Mom had noticed I sorta limped. Then, one day, runnin’ in the yard, I went totally lame. Mom took me to the vet, who discovered I had an old knee injury that got worse, and I hadda have surgery. Mom sold Thomas’ Harley to pay for it. The vet was super nice, but I couldn’t run or jump, an I hadda stay in my crate for, like, WEEKS. It was Soggy Dog Biscuits.
“Anyway, I got all better. Then, one day, we were in Harbor Freight, where Brandon loves to sit in the pontoon boat. Alluva sudden we heard someone sayin,’ ‘Sarge, is that you?’”
“What?”
“It was my first owner. He was a Purple Heart vet, which means he was brave an fought for his country an got wounded. I looked at Mom for the OK, then I started waggin’ like crazy. He was so happy. He told Mom his fren Nikki was an Official Dog Trainer and had trained me since I was a puppy, so I’m a Bone-uh-fied Service Dog. But she got sick an couldn’t help him take care of me anymore an that’s why they hadda take me to the shelter. Later, Nikki came to visit us, an I was so excited to see her. She gave Mom a list of all my commands, so now I’m even more helpful.”
“Whaddya do for fun?”
“I love swimmin’! One time, I was swimmin’ in the ocean, an Mom’s fren was snorklin.’ I accidently bumped him an, dog! he just shot outta the water. I buh-leeve he thought I was a shark. My Dog Beach buddies are Murphy, a shih tzu; an my girlfren, Koda. Our other pooch pal has two wheels for paws, so I put myself between him an other pooches if he’s gettin’ crowded. Mom calls us a Motley Crew.”
Heading home, I was thinkin’ of all the stuff that fell into place so Sarge and his Forever Family could find each other, and he could keep usin’ all his amazing skills to benefit his humans. Pretty inspiring, doncha think?
Till next time,
The Bonz
