Grieving the loss of a pet is like few other pains. Walking shelter dogs provided some light.
Credit: Jesse Scott
I’ve spent roughly 100 hours walking shelter dogs since losing my best friend. One of those dogs spent three hours humping my leg, which I suspect was not the grief support anyone had in mind.
But we’ll get to Lorenzo.
It’s been six months since Sammy died. Our little boy passed away April 4 at approximately 16 years old, after being our best friend since my wife, Lisa, and I adopted him in Las Vegas in 2012. There will absolutely never be another Sammy.
As a travel writer, I’m often away for days, sometimes weeks. There’s a beautiful tension to that, spanning the excitement of heading somewhere new, followed eventually by the excitement of getting home to those you love. For me, that meant Lisa and Sammy.
Coming home was its own destination.
Without Sammy, there was an emptiness I didn’t know what to do with. I missed my buddy. I missed knowing he was there. And I wrestled with whether getting another dog might help.
Ultimately, no dog was Sammy. Bringing one home while juggling my travel schedule wouldn’t have been fair to that dog, either. Someday, we may be ready. I didn’t need to rush that decision to acknowledge how much I missed having a pup around and him sitting by my right foot as I worked from home.
So, I signed up to walk dogs at Abandoned Pet Rescue in Fort Lauderdale.
The shelter offers daily walking shifts from 8–9 a.m., noon–2 p.m. and 4–6 p.m., with sign-ups for the large or standard kennel. There is a training, supervised walk and more involved before you get the green light. I’ve stuck with the standard kennel crew, walking two or three times a week whenever I’m in town and can make it.
The cast of characters deserves its own sitcom, y’all.
There was Peter Pan, who finally found his forever home after 1,389 days at the shelter. Getting to walk a dog and then learn he’s going home is a particularly wonderful development in your week.
There was little Lorenzo, whom I brought home for a day. He apparently interpreted my hospitality as a three-hour invitation to romance my leg.
There have been multiple foster visits with best boy Benji, recently adopted, and walks with old man Ray, who also found his forever home. Sweet, spunky Billy is still awaiting his.
I’ve loved meeting them, learning their personalities and giving them time outside the kennel. Somewhere amid those walks, they’ve given me something I needed, too... which is a regular dose of joy while I grieve.
The warmth extends to APR’s staff and volunteers. For cat lovers, there are feline residents getting playtime and attention, too, amid all kinds of other volunteer opportunities.
I still miss Sammy. Walking through the shelter doors doesn’t erase that, and neither does taking another dog’s leash. But there’s comfort in showing up for a pup who needs a walk, some attention and, ultimately, a loving home.
I’ll never forget my best friend. I’ll also never forget the people and pups who have helped me through these six months, one walk at a time, too.
