This week’s innerview was one of those times when I realize just how FORT-chun-nut I am. I mean, my entire life I’ve been safe an happy an loved. Not to mention the snacks.
Teddy [Photo: Kaila Jones]
Me an my assistant were greeted by a frenly, bouncy cluster of canines, all different shapes, sizes an mixtures, mostly black coats, with some other colors mixed in. The largest of the group, a Lab-mixture, followed by the rest of the troupe, came up for Wag-an-Sniffs.
“Well, come right on in, Bonz. I’m Teddy Montegut. This is our Mom Erin an our human sis Jess. These two silly pooches are my sisters Pixie, a Labradoodle, an Harley, a Dach-waa-waa.”
In the midst of the bouncy wagfest, I noticed a tiny gray tabby kitten had joined us, jumpin’ an playin’ like she had no idea how liddle she was an how big everybody else was. It appeared she considered herself just one of the pooches. As rowdy as they were, she was right in there with ’em. I could see the dogs were inconspicuously takin’ care not to accidently smush her. Teddy noticed me lookin’ at the kitten in amazement.
“That liddle furball is Enola. Nobody can convince her she’s a cat. We don’t even try anymore. And, over there …” Teddy pointed to a small, sturdy, very pretty, silver/gray-an-white pit bulldog peeping timidly out from the far side of the couch, eyeing me with equal parts curiosity an anxiety.
“That’s Luna. She got here in August, just a month before me. She’s a sweet pupster, still learnin’ how to trust and understand this is her Forever Home an we are her sometimes-rowdy-but-always-loving Forever Famly.”
He turned to Luna, whose eyes were big as saucers. She looked ready to FLEA. “It’s totally OK, kiddo,” Teddy said kindly. “Bonzo’s one of the Good Guys.”
Luna took a couple of hesitant steps toward me an spoke softly. “I never had any pooches or humans be nice to me. This is so wonderful, sometimes I think I’m dreamin’.”
“But you’re not,” I told her gently. “You’re gonna be warm an safe an loved for the entire rest of your life, Luna.” I turned to Teddy, wiping my eyes a liddle. “Great famly!” I exclaimed. “May I assume you’re the Spokespooch?”
“Absolutely! Get that notebook ready. It’ll mostly be about Luna. An some about me, of course. She has a Very Druh-MAA-tick tail.”
Everybody except Enola settled down, an Teddy began.
“My Mom and Jess really buh-leeve in helpin’ Pets Less Fortunate. Jess fosters frequently. I think she knows Almost Everything about us pets. I mean, it’s uh-MAY-zing. Anyway, she volunteers AN fosters for the Humane Society, which is how she heard about poor liddle Luna, who was uh-BAN-dunned on the side of the road by some Very, Very Bad Humans an rescued by Animal Control, thank Lassie. She was in terrible shape, totally terrified, injured real bad, almost bought the doghouse. She was rushed to the vet an hadda have emergency surgery. She got all sewed up an went to live at the Humane Society. Finally, she was ready to find a Forever Famly.”
As Teddy told the tail, Luna ventured from behind the couch to timidly check out me an my assistant, an get reassuring words an pats from Jess.
Teddy continued. “The Humane Society asked Jess if she’d foster Luna while waiting for a Forever Famly, and Jess agreed to. HOWEVER, when Jess got a call that a permanent home had been found for Luna, she was like, ‘Wait! What?’ She totally didn’t wanna lose Luna. THEN, buh-leeve it or not, just a week before Adoption Day, Luna got bit by a BEE and went into SHOCK, cuzza bein’ allergic. Jess took care of her till she was All Better an ree-lized there was No Way she was sayin’ goodbye to Luna. So, that’s how Luna became a Foster Failure and got her Forever Famly.”
“I can’t imagine a better one,” I declared.
Luna spoke up again. “I didn’t even know what being happy was till I got here. Now I’m ackshully learning how to PLAY an be a puppy, which I never got to do. I never even barked before I came here. I was too scared. I’m glad I don’t remember a lot from back then. But one day I was playin’ an alluva sudden there was this Noise. It startled me. Then I ree-lized – it was ME. I had BARKED! Grandma an Mama Jess were cryin cuz they were so happy I’d found my voice. Mama Jess sometimes calls me Tigger cuz I like to bounce.”
“You have such a wonderful story,” I told Luna sincerely. “So, what’s yours, Teddy?”
“I got adopted cuz Jess wanted a fren for Luna. See, I have this terrible Sep-uh-RAY-shun Anxiety: I freak out when I get left alone, which narrows my field of puh-ten-shull Forever Famlies considerably. See, when I’m left alone I, well, I tend to HOWL. Majorly. So this famly is perfect for me. I NEVER haff to be alone. An everybody gets along. I was already pretty well-mannered. An smart. An, here’s the Cool Kibbles part. I totally love Humans an I’m very good-natured and easy-going. So I’m learning to be a Comfort Dog. Mom’s in charge of an assisted living place for humans, an I go to work with her an visit the humans who live there. They talk to me an give me liddle pats. An they smile. Mom says they love me, an I totally love them back. I am one lucky pooch.”
“You an me both, Teddy,” I said, as I headed home.
Till next time,
The Bonz
