I’ve been a dog lover as long as I can remember. Personally, life just feels empty to me without one. In May of 2009, I came across Parker on a shelter website. I was sort of just “window shopping” at this point. We had recently said goodbye to our 16 year old terrier Charlie, so it was still a little soon to bring a new dog into our lives. When I first came across Parker’s profile, I thought “what a handsome boy! He’s pretty big though…and probably sheds like crazy.” So I clicked on lots of other profiles, wishing I could rescue them all. For some reason though, I kept going back to Parker’s profile. He just had the biggest smile on his face and the floppy ear was irresistible. I sat there one day reading his bio for the hundredth time and decided I was going to stop by the shelter after work, just to see him. That’s it. No harm in that, right? Ha! Well that was it. He was “the one.” He was my four-legged soul mate.
I was still living with my parents at the time and it took a little convincing, but just like me, the second they met Parker, game over. I wrote out a contract promising that he wouldn’t cost my parents a penny and that I’d feed, walk, train, and clean-up-after him 100% of the time. Signed and dated, I handed it over to my mom and dad. They had a good laugh (which wasn’t my intention), but it sealed the deal. I went through the application process and picked up my giant bundle of fur a few days later.
Parker’s background is a bit of a mystery since he was a stray and basically picked up off the streets. The shelter staff and a veterinarian that I took him to see estimated that he was about a year old. Breed-wise, our best guess is that he’s an Alaskan Malamute and German Shepard cross. He’s not a big fan of the rain and will dip his feet in at most in any body of water. He loves the snow and prefers to lie in the sun rather than the shade, even with that big fur coat. He hears the phrase “what a beautiful dog” pretty much on a daily basis and will shake a paw without even being asked.
Back in 2011, I started looking into therapy dog programs because I figured other people deserved to hang out with the greatest dog on earth. Parker and I went through a pretty lengthy process including an evaluation which he aced like a champ. Within a few months, he became certified and we started visiting a retirement home on a weekly basis. We have about 10-15 regulars that show up and it’s just amazing to watch the interaction between them and Parker. Some of these residents suffer with illnesses such as Dementia and Alzheimer’s while some are just extremely lonely, so seeing their faces light up when Parker and his floppy ear makes his way over is extremely heart-warming. He’s the perfect guy for the job.
We’re on a bit of a break right now while I try to find a good balance between work, school, toddler-hood, and a million other things, but we’ll definitely be going back at some point. Not only do the residents love the visits, but Parker and I really enjoy them too. How can you not love a job where people pat you, compliment you, fuss over you and sneak you treats for an hour?! That’s all referring to Parker, obviously;). I also have a great time there. Sometimes I feel like I’m their honorary grand daughter and I really love hearing all kinds of “back-in-the-day” stories. I’m so grateful for coming across an opportunity like this and it definitely would not be possible without such an amazing dog.
In case I forgot to mention it, Parker is just the best. That being said, he definitely has his quirks (don’t we all!). He’s a basket case in the car…as in too excited to do anything but bark and howl for pretty much the entire trip, whether it’s 5 minutes or 5 hours. He’s leash reactive and quite dominant with other dogs which can be a little difficult to manage sometimes but we’ve gotten pretty good at it. He’s great in dog parks and dog daycare though. And then there’s the shedding. I honestly don’t know how he has any fur left at all. But again, we’ve gotten pretty good at dealing with it. Regardless of these little quirks, we really couldn’t ask for a better dog. And he is absolutely amazing with our son. I can’t imagine why on earth someone gave him up all those years ago, but I am so thankful that they did. Our lives are covered in his fur and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
my little lemon tree 