TILLIE’S TALE

 The loss of a beloved pet is always difficult but to lose two young and apparently healthy pets within a month is devastating.  After our Persian kitten Charlie died from a heart condition and our Welsh springer spaniel Freya succumbed to a terrible autoimmune disease, we decided that pet ownership was not for us.  This, of course, is why we found ourselves back at Happy Tails only a few weeks later, looking into the big, brown eyes of a spaniel mix puppy.  Matilda, as she was christened at the Humane Society, had been left tied up outside in the spring rains with little food and no grooming.  When her owners surrendered her, she was so matted that no one could tell if she was a boy or a girl! 

When we saw her, she was very thin and bald from having her dirty, matted hair shaved off.  Some of our friends asked why we would even consider such an “ugly” puppy!  But her pleading eyes and loving disposition won us over especially after she licked Rags, the shelter cat, all over to show us that she even liked cats. 

 Before even taking her home, I stopped at Country Max to get her a collar, leash, dishes etc.  Since dogs are allowed there, I brought her inside.  Her first reaction was puzzlement—this did not look like home!  But then she smelled all the dog food there and decided that her new life was an improvement on the old.

 Only a few days later, my husband had a heart attack and bypass surgery.  We were worried that such a young and energetic puppy might not understand that he needed to move carefully for a while.  But Tillie did.  Never once did she jump on his chest or hurt him.  She also became a reason for him to get well so that he could take her for walks.  At first, I came along because she had a habit of trying to race off after birds or to greet her dog friends.  But if he was holding the leash, she walked slowly and carefully with him.

 We have had Tillie for 16 months now.  She seems to be a Brittany spaniel-poodle mix with beautiful curly hair and floppy red-brown spaniel ears. When we walk her, people stop to tell us how beautiful she is.  She was a star pupil in her obedience class and has a great time romping with our two Persian cats, Batzi and Arianna.  Although she did not have any human vocabulary when we got her, she really worked at learning words like “dinner,” “walk,” “treat” and “bone.”  Now she even understands whether we are just planning to take her for a walk or if we are driving to a hiking trail or park.  She runs to the appropriate door to wait for us!  She also knows that when we call her Matilda, she is in deep trouble!  Her nickname, Tillie, came from a great-aunt of mine, also christened Matilda.  She even had similar reddish brown curly hair and a fun-loving disposition!

 We can’t imagine life without Tillie!

                                                            Leslie O’Malley Finke