PET STORY: Mitzi gives unconditional love

In my childhood and all through my life, there was always a four-legged friend in our home. Our companion of many years passed away a few years back and I had been yearning for a new chapter in our lives to begin. A puppy was just what this empty nest needed.

Like a child, I pleaded with my husband to bring a sweet, furry, cuddly puppy into our lives. He was totally against it. Every argument I gave for, he had one against. I worked full time, gone for nine hours a day. But I would train it, groom and feed it. He knew better.

Being retired and home most of the time, his days were long and retirement was not all it was cracked up to be as illness was overtaking his life. Then, one day after an illness that confined him to the house for a few weeks, he abruptly changed his mind.

Of course, Mitzi was everything I ever wanted in a dog and hubby was grudgingly the caretaker as we had always known he would be. But a funny thing happened along the way.

Mitzi became his companion and best friend. She was there for him when I couldn't be. There through illness, lying by his side and loneliness when I was at work. When his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she was there to listen and comfort and be close to him when no human words would do. She was the reason he got up in the mornings after I went off to work.

Mitzi was 6 when my husband passed away a little more than year ago. She was devastated, losing two pounds out of her 12. For many weeks, she sat patiently at the window just waiting for him to come home. We eventually became best friends as mine was no longer with me.

Six months have passed since I moved into my daughter's home and Mitzi has found new ways to be needed. This quiet, shy, timid animal has now become a domineering herding dog. My children's 45-pound dog Lucky and 18-pound cat Sparrow are Mitzi's responsibility now. She's taken on the duty of letting us know when the other animals want in and out and when they are out of line (having too much fun).

When I moved in with Mitzi, my grandson who helped teach Lucky many tricks asked me, "What does Mitzi do?" I was dumbfounded as she was never asked to do anything other than to be Mitzi. After a few minutes I answered, "She will give you unconditional love."

Linda Nevling

North Charleston

 

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