I Am The Walrus

by John Flores

Not really sure what my penchant is for dogs and Beatles songs but they just seem to fit. However, I did not name Lucy nor did I name Wally but they still fit into the whole “Beatles thing”. Anyways, I realized that I’ve been fostering Wally for nearly a month and have yet to tell you his story.

Less than a day after Fairfield got adopted, I was asked to take a senior beagle named, Wally, in. Wally was put in a night depository box at the pound. Not sure of the reasons why but I’m assuming it was because he was old. Poor guy had tumors on his body. I remember when one of them actually burst and he was just lying there bleeding. He was miserable. He barely moved. He had gall stones and swollen adrenal glands. He was a mess. To be honest, he was only supposed to be here for a few days so he had at least had a nice place to “retire”.

I really had no intention on trying to adopt him out but as each day passed, the “old man” started coming around. It was almost as if a switch had flipped the second he got in my car. I remember the day he stepped into my house. He waddled right past Penny and Elvis like he owned the joint and sat by the door to the backyard and looked at me as if to say, “Are you going to let me out or do you want me to pee right here?” I let him out in the backyard, Penny and Elvis were still just sitting there staring at him, not sure what to think. I set up his bed and by the time I was done, he was ready to be let in. He waddled in and lay down. He let out the biggest sigh and this guy must have slept for about 12 hours straight. Call me crazy, but I swear this guy was sleeping with a smile on his face.

If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, I’m sure you’ve seen “The Walrus” and all his antics. He’s been known to photo bomb pictures, knock down baby gates, and unlock a “pet proof” trashcan. While some people would get upset at some of this stuff, he’s merely just reminding me when I haven’t taken out the trash and telling me that he doesn’t need to be restricted anywhere in the house because he’s not going to mess anything up! He actually “runs” with Penny and Elvis when they go to the park. Penny and Elvis have fully accepted this guy into the pack and he’s actually been pretty great in helping socialize Lucy. He seriously has the BEST bark/howl. It’s so awesome; you can’t even get mad at it. It literally makes you smile when he does it.

You know, I think the number 1 reason people won’t adopt a senior dog is because they don’t know how long the dog is going to live. And I get it; I used to think like that, too. However, that excuse no longer holds any value to me. There is NOTHING that is guaranteed tomorrow. Any one and any being can pass away at any given moment. None of us can predict the future. And there are few things worse than seeing an old dog spend their last days in a shelter. It should NEVER happen.

Wally is my 3^rd senior foster dog and I’ve developed a deep love for senior dogs. Every morning I see Wally, he reminds me that today is all that matters and to make the most of it, no matter what may come my way. I know he’s not in tip top shape but he’s such a blessing to have in this house. Seeing this guy smile is worth every bit of heart break I will endure the day his body gives up on him. And I stress “body” because Wally has a heart of gold that will never give up. I would love nothing more than to see this guy find his forever home. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in no rush to send him to another home. I just really feel that somewhere there’s someone that actually NEEDS Wally. There’s someone out there that needs that daily reminder to make TODAY the best you can make it because stressing about yesterday never made his gall stone get any smaller. Somewhere out there, a person needs to be reminded to keep chasing after that ball, even when logic tells you that the other two dogs in your race are going to get it 9 times out of 10. Wally keeps chasing that ball because at least ONCE, Penny or Elvis will miss that ball and he will get it and even though it may not last forever, he savors every second of it.

All Wally needs is a soft place to sleep, a wagon to be pulled in after walking 40 yards, and to be fed. He’s potty trained, he barely barks and he’s never in your way. Well, unless he’s lying by the door when I walk in the house but hey, he just wants to be the first dog to greet me!

I can’t tell you Wally is going to live for 10 more years but I can promise you that every day he’s NOT in your life; you’re cheating yourself out of a dog that will make you appreciate life and live each day like it’s your last. Even on Wally’s worst days, he’s happy to just have a roof over his head and couple of bullies as his friends. After all, he is Wally. He is the Walrus.

If you’re interested in giving Wally his forever home you can go to www.pricelesspetrescue.org

John Flores

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