I ALMOST BECAME A DOG PERSON RECENTLY

I was rolling out our huge trash and recycling dumpsters to the street a few weeks ago, so the Angels of the City could swing by and pick up our shit, and haul it away for us.

I'm always SOOOOO appreciative and amazed that I don't have to haul it away myself.  I WISH I could give them all gifts, and second homes in Colorado, because there's NO ONE who deserves it more than those Trash/Recycling Angels.

But, anyway, here's what I'm trying to get to......  As I was putting the dumpsters out, a beautiful brown and white, highly active, enormously friendly, dog came bounding up to me, licked my feet, took a rub around my legs three times, and picked up a stick... basically saying, I don't know who you are but I'm ready to play and you better throw this for me.

I'm SO not a "dog person".  I'm a "cat person", big time.  But I think this dog was like a border collie/lab/poodle/cow mix. I'm just guessing.  And she stole my heart immediately.

Dogs do not like me.  Probably because I'm not a "DOG PERSON".  But this one did.  I'm sure she did.  And especially when I gave her water and rubbed her stomach and called her by her name (which was on her tag).  The only reason I know she was a she was because her very responsible owners had tags on her, with her name, and their phone number.  They even had an extra tag, for the person who sometimes takes care of her when they're out of town.

I could have probably figured out she was a she anyway.  But....

Husband was watching my amazing dog skills from the back door.  I could see he was impressed!

My wonderful friend, M, adopts special needs dogs - she loves dogs so much.  She has dogs who are blind, and have commitment issues, and ADD.   (She has a cat too, Spot. I think M wouldn't mind if Spot got run over by the Angels of the City truck though.  She's not a cat person.)  She would have been so proud of me!  She would have been proud of my dog skills.

My found dog's name was Abby.  And when I called her Abby, after holding her down long enough to read the tags, she licked my hand.  And looked at me, in the eyes.  I so wish I could have gotten to my camera, because I would love to put a picture of her here.  One that I could look back on as the dog I ALMOST had.

There's no double about it, if she hadn't been claimed, she was mine!!  Husband didn't have a say in it.

Her sweet owner came to claim her.  She asked me, on the phone, where I was keeping her.  I told her she was in the garage.  The owner said DON'T LET HER OUT.  Which I had already, definitely, processed.  Owner showed up with a leash in hand.  We gently let Abby out of the garage, just long enough to attach her to that leash, and then she bounded to the car, dragging Owner behind.

Husband asked me if I asked Owner what kind of dog she was.  I told him it never occurred to me to ask.  She was a dog.

But Abby was special to me.  And if I ever find her reincarnation again, that specific border collie/lab/poodle/cow mix, I'll adopt her.  On the spot.

And I'll become a dog person.  My cats will be ok with it, I think.  If I am.  And, again, Husband won't have a say in it.