Constant Companion

I've been very stressed and emotional today, so I hope you'll forgive me for posting cute puppy photos (I normally don't like to). This is my poodle x puppy Ruby, one of my two dogs who are my constant companions.

When I first began working from home full-time two and a half years ago, I found it quite lonely and isolating to spend the majority of my time alone. At that time I had only one dog, Bonnie, who was happy that I was around but as she is old and sleeps quite a lot, she was not all that great company.

Six months ago we adopted Ruby, who rapidly became part of the family and endeared herself to us all with her goofy antics and abundant enthusiasm. She is a little dog with an enormous personality, who has made up for her character flaws (which include questionable toilet habits and a taste for underwear) by loving us to distraction and making us laugh.

Ruby has not been herself for the last few days, and today we found out why. The vet found that she had an intestinal blockage, and did surgery to remove a large section of her bowel along with a sizeable wad of undigested underpants. She is still in the animal hospital, and while we are hopeful that she will pull through, it is still uncertain as to whether she will make a full recovery.

Ruby was supposed to be my daughter's pet, but this crisis has shown who her real owner is - and that's me. I am amazed at how attached I have become to this annoying little nuisance who has driven me crazy for months by refusing to be properly toilet trained and chewing up (and apparently swallowing) anything she is able to get hold of.

I can only hope that she'll make it through the night & be back to her old self in short order. There's a space in heart where she belongs. Who knew???