Meet Peggy

Welcome to Some Dogs. Enough small talk...

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Hi there. Thanks for stopping by. Let’s all take a deep breath and direct our focus on a dog for a moment. I’m going to start in-house with an introduction in order of seniority. Nothing fancy. Meet Peggy (Full Disclosure: Peggy is my best friend).

Peggy was rescued from a Georgia kill shelter as a six week old puppy in 2015. Peggy is a brown dog. Or at least what we say when people ask. We don’t know what mix she is and those doggie DNA tests have always felt like a scam. It’s also nice not to know. She’s probably a mix of German Shepherd/Australian Shepherd/Border Collie and Black Mouth Cur. But she could be anything and I like that about her. She’s one of a kind. She’s Pegs. Here is an arresting puppy photo:

When Peggy was three, coming back from walk with a dog sitter, she saw a deer and broke away after it. She was hit by a car and eventually lost a leg. It was an awful, traumatic affair but here’s the thing about dogs: they are extremely resilient. To celebrate her heroic recovery and serene, friendly disposition throughout the ordeal, she was named Pet of the Month at her veterinary clinic (November 2018). She is now — happily, it seems — Three Leg Pegs and is (inexplicably) faster than when she was a quadruped.

Peggy is a junkyard dog. A dog park scrapper who would very much prefer to be left alone by her peers as she mauls tennis balls. She loves humans far more than dogs and she loves gross garbage that somebody left on the street far more than she loves humans. When she lived in Brooklyn many years ago her favorite hobby was to bee-line to the side door of a small Italian bakery in hopes of finding the remnants of a day-old roll or pastry.

Peggy can be aloof and sometimes withholding. As a people pleaser, I find this occasionally vexing. But each morning she lumbers into my bedroom from her crate and nuzzles in and it is life affirming. In the summers she likes her space, no doubt due to her formidable coat. In the winters, though, her defenses are lowered and she seeks out the warmth of close contact. Since becoming a tripod she enjoys naps while resting her stump against the wall. I think it is soothing for her.

Peggy is my first dog and therefore will likely be the most special dog in my life. Her accident has deepened our bond. When I go on trips or if I’m out doing something fun I frequently find my mind wandering toward the same thought: ‘I wonder what Peggy’s doing?’ It’s the kind of ridiculous behavior that I take as confirmation of true love.

Dogs, man.

Peggy wouldn’t like me getting so sappy, here. And this is getting long. So here are some more pictures of her to get you better acquainted. Stay tuned for Steve. Once the formalities are out of the way, we can get down to the business of daily life.

Your faithful correspondent,

Charlie