The Homecoming
Because we have pets, being gone for the weekend, or leaving on a short trip, means either taking our furry friends with us, or finding someone to take care of them. When we are fortunate enough to have neighbors or family glad to drop by several times a day, the stress on our pets is much less. The pets love the company, and they often barely miss us. Without the availability of someone to stay at the house while you’re gone, or someone to make multiple trips to care for our pets, we’re forced to enlist the services of one of several kennels and boarding facilities around the area.
A recent business trip to San Francisco didn’t afford us the opportunity to take our dogs with us. No matter how cute they are, or how cuddly they can be, they’re not going to be well accepted at a nice hotel. On this trip we had to board our dogs in a local kennel. We don’t have folks to live-in, or can come multiple times to care for the our fur babies.
Since we live in the country, finding someone to come to the house is often not a satisfactory solution. If it only took five minutes to get to our home, two or three visits a day might be do-able. But when twenty or more minutes are required, each way, multiple visits are not realistic.
If you are fortunate enough to have someone stay at your house while you are away, there is still the problem of having someone living in your house. This means whoever stays will probably have to be available to leave their home. And they have to be a good enough friend to be willing to live with your furry friends. And of course, we have to trust those folks to respect our homes, as well as take care of the dogs.
Therefore, the only practical solution for most of us, is to pay for overnight care at a kennel. Now a whole new set of problems arise. Every business has different methods and practices. The care and attention given to our pets is sure to be different than the love we lavish on them at home. The folks working at the kennel are not mean nor uncaring, but we assume they love animals. They are busy, for they have more than your animals to care for. Interactions with your pet may be both brief and efficient, rather than lingering and loving.
When we provide housing for our pets in our absence, we sometimes find they are not particularly fond of being taken to the kennel. Our big boxer Beau, when he was alive, would whine with happy anticipation when we turned onto the kennel street, his short stubby tail wiggling hard.
Tinker Bell, our applehead Chihuahua is fine with being delivered to the kennel. She doesn’t seem as excited as Beau was, but she bounces along on the leash with no problem.
Lucky is not quite as excited to go to the kennel. While Tinker prances along on the leash, Lucky can think of several other places she’d rather be and pulls in the other direction. When we get out of the truck, she goes along on the leash just fine until we get to the door. When Tinker prances through the door, Lucky acts as if she just thought of an important appointment on the other side of town. She doesn’t seem frightened, or afraid of going inside. But she makes it quite clear she has other important things she wants to do than go to the kennel.
Of course, the return home is always a happy event for both the dogs and their owners. We’re used to having our two dogs loafing on the couch with us, or bounding around outside chasing rabbits and squirrels. When we return home at a time when we cannot pick up our pets, we always comment how terribly quiet the house is without them.
Pickup day at the kennel is always an adventure. The kennel employee snaps both dogs on their leash, and grabs the bag with their blankets and food bowls. Two squirming little dogs come through the door. trying their best to get to us. Tinker is good on the leash, so leading her to the pickup is no problem. Lucky, who had business elsewhere on the way inside the kennel, is now all about hurrying to the pickup to scramble up the running board and onto the seat.
On the drive home, Lucky backs up against my hip, and snuggles down. Tinker isn’t overly fond of riding in vehicles. In typical Chihuahua fashion, she pants and shakes, but doesn’t seem unhappy.
As soon as we park in front of the garage, both dogs make a dash for the lawn. After the obligatory “I’m home again” stop, they’re off to greet Sharon and give her their “I’m so glad to be back” licks and kisses. That is when our home once again feels complete. Brent Gill lives in Springville. His “Daunt to Dillonwood” column appears regularly in The Porterville Recorder through the generosity of Weisenberger’s Hardware on West Olive in Porterville. If you enjoyed this column, follow his blog at http://brentgwriter.blogspot.com.