Stepping Up

April 19th 2012

I see it all the time  - kids grow up, go off to college and the parents are left to look after the dog or the cat which includes all the exercise, clean ups and, where I come in, veterinary care.  Your moody teenager returns home from college on breaks just in time to enjoy all the good stuff.

The other day, for the first time in a long time, I saw the reverse situation.  A young college student whose father had died and left her with his canine companion, a goofy but affectionate big Labrador with a knee problem.  When I saw the two of them together, they didn’t quite fit – commands and reassurances went ignored – but here was a young woman who stepped up, recognized and appreciated the connection that existed with this dog and was determined to do the right thing.

When it’s family, be it on two legs or four, everything changes and this daughter is still making her father proud.