Like a gift

It could have been luck. One person called it “The Fairfield Miracle.” Another attributed it to the forces of social media mingling mysteriously.

How much did the family love their dog? Every corner of their lives seemed to house a trace of BJ and his Boston Terrier breed — wall hangings, children’s books, paintings, T-shirts, pendants, pillows, coffee mugs.

That BJ’s life would end in just months was a fact the parents, Jessica and Herb Nappi, had accepted. Their two children also had begun sensing the seriousness of his illness. No more jumping up onto their beds or zestful greetings when they came home. The children worried. The parents worked at helping them cope with BJ’s eventual passing.

For their 5-year-old son, the meaning of “It’s time to put BJ to sleep” was difficult for him to grasp. He said, “But he will wake up, right?” Their 8-year-old daughter explained that animals put to sleep never woke up. To which the boy replied, “I don’t want him to sleep forever.”

The daughter understood the gravity of the illness. She knew that BJ would soon be gone but hoped that “soon” belonged to a time in a future far away enough from anything she could imagine.

The parents decided that getting a second dog while BJ was still alive might help ease the children’s inevitable loss. That idea conflicted the daughter. At first, she felt that getting another dog while BJ was dying might hurt his feelings. All four believed that BJ experienced up and down emotions, just like people.

As the mother searched dog rescue sites online she began second guessing herself. She was unsure of being able to endure the pain and ache of losing BJ. Her thinking was to wait a year before taking on another dog to have time to grieve. She found sites with many wonderful dogs of all kinds and sizes but no listings for Boston Terriers which was the only type of dog the children’s hearts were set on. They had said, “We want one, just like BJ.”

From their experience the parents knew Boston Terriers from reputable breeders could be expensive. Before starting a family, they had driven from Connecticut to Ohio to pick up BJ for $2,000. That was too much to pay again.

A few weeks later the incredible started unfolding. On Facebook the owners of a 3month-old male Boston Terrier put up their puppy for adoption because of the wife’s severe allergic reaction to him. Their dog walker was the contact. Jessica heard about the puppy, contacted the dog walker and shared her BJ story. By then a few hundred people had already responded to the Facebook posting.

One individual offered $300. Another one said the dog could live happily among the 25 chickens on his farm. And a couple felt certain the puppy would fit in well with their 10 cats. After learning from the dog walker about BJ’s family, the puppy owners were hopeful they had found the ideal home for him.

And so, the parents and puppy owners met. That they lived within two-and-a-half miles of each other spoke to a happening incredulous to the most active imagination. The parents showed them photos of BJ and their two children and shared personal stories. Like the parents, this couple had gotten their puppy in their first year of marriage from an out-ofstate breeder, also for $2,000. And the puppy looked exactly as BJ did when the parents first got him.

About 45 minutes into their meeting the husband said to the parents, “I don’t want to prolong this. You’re the ones.” They set no specific time for the transition. But the following morning a text arrived saying, “Come get him.”

When Jessica came for the puppy, she offered to pay something for him, for the crate, for his food, for everything. But the owners refused any payment. They felt sad, but also happy their puppy would be well taken care of. She left in joyful tears.

Named Yogi after the famous Yankees’ catcher, the puppy and BJ became friends and bedmates.

BJ stopped sleeping with the parents. He snored through his remaining nights on the floor next to Yogi.

Today the children love Yogi, but still speak about their time with BJ. The parents and the puppy’s former owners continue exchanging texts, emails and photos. And the daughter in telling others how they got Yogi, has said, “They gave him to us free ... like a gift.”

Every corner of their lives seemed to house a trace of BJ and his Boston Terrier breed — wall hangings, children’s books, paintings, T-shirts, pendants, pillows, coffee mugs.