Bonds. There are many different kinds of bonds in this world. For instance, there are the savings bonds that your grandmother probably gave you for a birthday years ago which you cashed in as soon as you could. And as I’ve mentioned in the past, I work in the legal field: Public Finance to be specific, otherwise known as municipal bonds. Does your community need a multi-family housing project built or an extra airport runway? Firms like the one I work for will be involved handling the sale of those bonds which pays for those kinds of infrastructure. But no, in this case, the kind of bond I’m referring to is the bond you establish with a dog. That connection of the purest kind of love.
As part of a pet therapy team, it’s critical that Sam and I maintain a strong bond and that he responds to all commands. Sam relies on me to make sure he’s safe in a potential hazardous environment with patients where a wrong move with health equipment, bodily fluids, etc. could potentially leave either of us at risk. We work hard at connecting on the same level so that no mistakes result in any kind of problem for us or for the patients we see.
No where do I see that special bond more front and center than when I see this photo from the recent Bubbles and Balls rescue benefit where Sam is totally focused on me. I can’t get over how well Ariane from DelaFoto Pet Photography captured that bond. Sure, I joke about this doofas being dimwitted, (selectively) hearing impaired and downright stubborn at times when it suits his personal agenda, but when the chips are on the line, that face, that spirit is what we need when we go into a hospice room. I know then he’ll share it with whomever is in that bed, or with whomever is visiting the patient across from them. He’ll check in with me (after he tries to check out whatever might be in the wastebasket, of course-remember he’s still a doofas!) and then he’ll zero in on who needs him the most in that room.
We all love our pets dearly and they each hold a special place in our hearts for any number of reasons. With Sam and I, we have to expand that place for the work we do. And that is where this bond really comes into play. And it’s that kind of bond that means the world to everyone who sees or needs it, but no one more so than me. All told, I think he kind of likes me, what do you think?
Live, love, bark! <3
