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Last week I stopped at the vet to take care of some unfinished business. My heart wasn’t in it because of physical and personal reasons; I was feeling a bit despondent. Before entering I sat in my car and silently prayed for strength. When I went in I saw a young lady holding a Shiba Imu in her lap. It is one of my favorite breeds and I haven’t seen one in a very long time. They look like miniature Akitas and have wonderful personalities.  Before greeting the young lad and her dog I looked to the heavens and smiled, “I bet this wasn’t an accident.”

 

Later that day I decided to look up an old tale titled “Talking to myself,” written well over 10 years ago, and share it with all of you. I pray it raises your spirits as it did mine.

 

“I recently made a visit to see some old friends.  For nearly 20 years I ran a large and successful pet sitting business. Truth be told it is how I acquired the moniker ‘Uncle Lennie.’ For five days I did nothing but see old clients and their critters. The joy of seeing some of my furry nieces and nephews again was heartwarming.

 

One of my clients rescues and owns Shiba Imus. On my visit I had six of them crawling all over me, four I had known and two new ones who had joined the fray. So you can imagine my surprise and delight when I went to FHS last week and ran into Hawkeye.  Hawkeye is a four-year-old creamy white Shiba Imu who was found by Red Fox and Peniel Road. It is not a well-known breed but they are the sweetest and cutest little things and Hawkeye truly fits the bill.

 

Hawkeye had a microchip, so we immediately tried to contact the owner who was many towns away. After many unanswered phone calls and notes on their door, they were finally contacted and at which point Hawkeye was signed over to us. I won’t go into all the scenarios that crossed my mind; I’ve found it’s a waste of my time. I leave that to others so that I can concentrate on the animals.

 

On Hawkeye’s upper left leg there was a slight protrusion that was thought to be a possible tumor. On further inspection, it turned out that it was a broken bone that had healed on its own without being treated. 

 

‘What to do?’ I asked myself. At the time in one way or another, I was working with five animals, monitoring their care and or seeking homes.

 

I guess I asked the wrong person because the answer came back ‘You’ll do what you have to do, then pray on it and it will work out.’

 

Off I went to Cloverfield Vet and spoke to my dear friend Dr. Maria Magsino about Hawkeye. I explained that he wasn’t limping or showing any visible signs of pain, but I was concerned about how it would affect him in the future. Maria said, ‘I’ll give him a thorough examination and take x-rays but if his bone has to be reset he’ll need a specialist.’ We made an appointment for the following Monday at 10 a.m. and she agreed to do it all free of charge.

 

Of course, I teared up and gave her one of my famous Italian hugs. I’d already thought about a possible specialist and if need be I’d have to do some serious negotiating with people I didn’t know. ‘Oh well,’ I thought, ‘I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.’

 

I recently received word that a couple will take Hawkeye just as he is, no matter what the outcome. I felt like Paul Newman in that old Rocky Graziano movie Somebody Up There Likes Me.”

 

Thanks for listening.