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I asked. Kasia laughed and corrected me, âShe goes by Ginny.â Ginny was under the table. I crouched down and crawled to her. She was the most beautiful dog Iâd ever seen.
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When I first met Ginny, she had kennel cough. It's the reason she was being fostered by a member of my ultimate frisbee group, something I'd been coerced to join by a close friend at the time. I'd said yes in the pursuit of pushing myself out of my comfort zone - meeting new people, making friends, spending more time outside, getting exercise, etc. Looking back, there were so many moving parts and pieces that were pulling me and Ginny towards each other.
It was the first time I was spending the full summer in my college town. I'm not sure how I'd come to that decision, but it was likely influenced by my parents' move to New York the previous year; their new place felt less like home than my student apartment. I'd gotten a job as a camp counselor that wouldn't start till July, so I had May and June to do as I pleased.
I quickly found participating in the ultimate frisbee league to be a great decision. I'd never been part of a team before - all my sports had been individual sports like running, swimming and yoga - and it was amazing to feel like I was a part of something, to feel seen and supported by a group of people who only wanted me to do my best. Previously terrified of messing up in a group setting, I learned that my teammates were on my side, and would always respond with reassurance, motivation or helpful tips to help me improve my skills and reach my potential. It feels like a dream to reminisce about that time in my life. It was one of my peaks.
There were lots of dogs in the sidelines at practice and at games, and the occasional mishap when a dog would come loose and intervene, driven by the running humans, frisbee and overall chaos of the sport. One week, one of my teammates, Kasia, shared sheâd be fostering a dog herself. She would be at the next practice. Her name was Virginia. I was excited. We need a mascot, I responded. Everyone nodded.
I missed the next practice, but joined the team during dinner and drinks. âWhereâs Virginia?â I asked. Kasia laughed and corrected me, âShe goes by Ginny.â Ginny was under the table. I crouched down and crawled to her. She was the most beautiful dog Iâd ever seen.
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When I was 19 I impulsively bought a pet lionhead rabbit from the farmers market where I worked for $20 (tip money and change scrounged up from my boyfriendâs car). we named him Dale. That was another huge free will moment that I could just do something like that but unfortunately I had to live with the consequences of my decision and taking care of a rabbit is a lot of work! Years later I would talk in therapy and cry about how I couldnât have a dog because it wouldnât be safe with Dale, the financial obligation was too great, and it was not the right time in my life.
Dale died when he was ten not long after moving all the way across the country with him! He lived a long time for a dwarf rabbit and he was happy and healthy until the end. I had to euthanize my cat Kitty not long after that because she had lymphoma.
I got a kitten and named her Dolly and she was the love of my life! The sweetest goofiest long haired black cat who loved getting into mischief, sleeping on my head, and giving me hugs around my neck and kissing my face. She suddenly started showing symptoms of latent FIP, an untreatable fatal disease, shortly after her first birthday. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and I had to let her go.
The loss of Dolly was tremendous. I couldnât imagine getting another cat to replace her because I would only ever compare them and she was one of a kind.
Still, I found myself at a shelter and when they gave me a tour of their adoptable animals, I saw this little guy in a cage staring out at me with his big beautiful eyes. When we took him out and brought him to a room to meet him even the shelter staff were impressed by how well behaved he was. I couldnât leave this sweet wiggly worm behind so I adopted him!
It blew my mind that they would just let me fill out a form and pay them $300 or whatever and take a little guy like this home and that I could finally have a dog. It was a pain raising him in an apartment but he has a house with a yard now and I think (I hope!) that heâs very happy. Several people told me they thought this was a decision I would regret but I wouldnât change a thing!
Sep 26, 2024
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I am in my childhood home for the week babysitting my dad's dog. Gravy, is a big bellied little legged butt shaking corgi who is as cute as he is vicious. I take him out for loop around the neighborhood, once around 7pm, and again at 9pm. Apparently the golden doodle across the street has the same schedule. Their rivalry has clearly been unrelenting dating back millennia, the very feud baked into their DNA. Before even catching a glimpse of each other, the (assumingly) putrid scent of the doodle, launches my Gravy into a snarling diatribe, unfettered until I bribe him with a treat and empty promises.
At first, I was frustrated. Like shut up Gravy you're ruining my mellow high. But tonight I found myself looking forward to the neighborly small talk with the doodle's mom. Nothing like masquerading as a home owner and responsible, yet apologetic dog parent to silence the incessant rumination cycle of what my purpose is now that I graduated college. And apparently, I fuck with routine. Who knew?
Feb 25, 2025
I adopted my dog the week before I graduated undergrad. She lived at the shelter I was working at and I fell in love. She had major leash reactivity so I would come early and stay late to make sure she was walked. I did a ton of training with her, had to pay for a knee surgery, and sought out a yard for her to relax in. I didnât fully know what I was getting myself in to, but I would choose her over and over again. Sheâs the sweetest girl and taught me so much.
Things to consider: donât get a high energy breed if youâre not super active. It can lead to behavioral issues because theyâre not releasing that energy or using their brains.
Think about size. Bigger is going to be more expensive, but tbh all breeds have their issues. Smaller dogs generally live longer than big as well. Youâll need to ongoing give them meds to prevent flea/tick/heartworm and itâs 100% worth it. Yearly appointments are a couple hundred. Pet insurance is pretty cheap and worth it (re: knee surgery).
Training and socialization are a MUST. If I remember correctly I did some classes with my other dog when she was a puppy that werenât too expensive. Itâs much easier to teach a dog good behaviors from the get go vs training bad ones out of them (re: leash reactivity). Some times you donât know how a dog is going to fully be until you have them, but then you're committed. Which brings me to my last point- give them time to decompress. It can take months.
Here are my two cutie patootie doggies!!! GO FOR IT!!! Itâs so worth it!
Oct 13, 2024
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Highly recommend starting every new project with a good cry. Let it out.
Feb 26, 2024
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A few days ago, my dad woke up with the words "Ginny's not coming back inside."Â
Ginny is my dog, a nearly 15 year old Yellow Lab-German Shepard mutt that I rescued in 2013 at the age of 4. She's been a patient, loving and calm companion to me throughout my 20âs, and has overtime won the hearts of my Pakistani parents, both of whom were deeply terrified of large dogs until Ginny joined our family.
What do you mean Ginny's not coming back inside? I asked.
"She's not coming back inside. I think she likes it out there. I have to leave for work, can you let her back inside?"
I nod yes and roll over. I hear my dad descend the stairs, leave the house, start his car and back out of the driveway before I get up myself. I scroll my phone aimlessly for a couple of minutes and decide to check on Ginny.
I go to the back door. Usually when sheâs ready, she meets us there, ready to re-enter the indoors. When I don't see her there, I immediately get worried - maybe she escaped from the yard.Â
It happened once before when someone forgot to close the gate. We found her a few hours later, having a solo picnic in the next-door neighbor's garbage. All the desperate cries she must have heard and ignored in pursuit of scraps; the frantic phone call to the police and nearby animal shelters. We drove around and walked in zig-zags all through our neighborhood only to discover she didnât stray far at all.
I open the door, now more alert and panicked than seconds ago, but quickly spot her across the backyard. Laying down.Â
I freeze until I see her chest rise and fall. She's sleeping.
This was a few days ago.Â
Almost every time we let Ginny out now, we have to cajole her back inside because she loves being outside, alone, with nature. I donât indulge her too much, I know isolation is a sign of discomfort and pain in dogs, but I think of my grandmother, my dadâs mom, who spent her final days napping in our yard, back when we lived in the suburbs of Toronto. My siblings and I would watch her, baffled, as she placed a sheet on the lawn, lay down and rested there for hours. Didnât she want to be in the cool air conditioning, maybe watch some tv? Do something a little more⊠interesting? Wasnât being outside deeply underwhelming? We never asked her these questions so Iâm not sure what in particular she liked about the experience. If could guess, it made her feel connected to the earth, it gave her a sense of peace and comfort, she enjoyed the silence and simplicity of it.
Yesterday, it was raining. I let Ginny out, thinking to myself, surely sheâll come back inside - itâs pouring rain, for godâs sakes - only to go out searching for her 10 minutes later to find her soaked, laying on the ground. I choked up at the sight. I brought her inside and dried her up.
Later in the day, Ginny had her vet appointment. They weighed her. Unsurprisingly, she was 10 pounds short of her usual weight. Unsurprisingly, she was diagnosed with arthritis and dementia. They took bloodwork and warned there could be more. We wouldnât have the results for a few days. They gave me some medicine to help her with pain management and appetite stimulants to help her regain some weight.
Today, itâs cloudy but the rain wonât start for a few more hours. My mom suggested we bring a towel out to make Ginny more comfortable. I also gave Ginny my cashmere sweater as a blanket, placing it on top of her laying body. I thought she might like it, but it's hard to tell what she likes anymore.
As I write this, sheâs been out there for an hour now. It's time for her to come back inside, eat her breakfast and take her medicine.
Mar 6, 2024
Jan 26, 2024