The Story of Zinn
Ten years ago, we were out on a boat at
Lake Logan Martin one summer day. Clarence and I saw the most beautiful,
svelte, silver dog standing on a passing pontoon. We asked the
owners about him, and they said he was part Labrador Retriever and part Weimaraner. Clarence had been
talking about getting a dog of his own, and this seemed a lovely mix.
One day I was going through the classifieds in the Anniston Star when I ran across an ad for an animal rescue group in the area asking for the adoption of puppies of this exact mix. We drove together to a woman’s house in a neighborhood out in Saks. I can only imagine how her neighbors felt about her because she had more dogs than I've ever seen in a residential back yard. There we found a whole litter of little gray puppies. We sat in the grass, and one little puppy immediately came to Clarence. This puppy was not like the rest with one ear pointed and one ear floppy, fuzzy with a curly tail. She seemed a bit nervous, but she sat right in his lap and didn’t want to be anywhere else. And he chose her. She was nothing like that svelte dog on the lake as she was a mix of chow-chow and cattle dog, but she was perfect. She was the sweetest puppy in the world. She would sit curled in your lap for hours, and she would follow you everywhere, right under your feet. She has been an incredible dog. She was independent, but loyal. She was right at your side, but she didn't need a lot of snuggling, and she didn't demand a lot of attention. We’ve never had to use a leash with her. She would never run away, and she listened immediately to your commands. She was intense, loyal, beautiful.
One day I was going through the classifieds in the Anniston Star when I ran across an ad for an animal rescue group in the area asking for the adoption of puppies of this exact mix. We drove together to a woman’s house in a neighborhood out in Saks. I can only imagine how her neighbors felt about her because she had more dogs than I've ever seen in a residential back yard. There we found a whole litter of little gray puppies. We sat in the grass, and one little puppy immediately came to Clarence. This puppy was not like the rest with one ear pointed and one ear floppy, fuzzy with a curly tail. She seemed a bit nervous, but she sat right in his lap and didn’t want to be anywhere else. And he chose her. She was nothing like that svelte dog on the lake as she was a mix of chow-chow and cattle dog, but she was perfect. She was the sweetest puppy in the world. She would sit curled in your lap for hours, and she would follow you everywhere, right under your feet. She has been an incredible dog. She was independent, but loyal. She was right at your side, but she didn't need a lot of snuggling, and she didn't demand a lot of attention. We’ve never had to use a leash with her. She would never run away, and she listened immediately to your commands. She was intense, loyal, beautiful.
We lost her on Friday, and there is a hole in our hearts. A dog is a dog to some people, and I do understand that. However, she was a big part of us, and we want to celebrate her life with us as part of our
family. We know it was time for her to be in a much better place, no more suffering,
no more sadness.
According to Chinese legend, the tongue of the chow chow got it's blue hue at the time of creation, when a chow licked up drops of the sky. This is just how I imagine her: happy, carefree, licking up drops of the sky.
Our little junk yard dog with her split ear.
According to Chinese legend, the tongue of the chow chow got it's blue hue at the time of creation, when a chow licked up drops of the sky. This is just how I imagine her: happy, carefree, licking up drops of the sky.
Our little junk yard dog with her split ear.
2 comments:
I love your story about the chows -- what a nice idea. Sweet Zinn.
Love you sweet puppy.
Post a Comment