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Happy Birthday to Simcha

Writer's picture: Terry BrennanTerry Brennan

This is some party!
This is some party!

Simcha, the rescue dog, had his first birthday today.


No, we're not really sure of his exact birth date. February 4th is the closest we got to a date.


Simcha was one of a litter - Golden Lab, Retriever, Aussie Sheep Dog mix - who were part of a truckload of 'unwanted' stray dogs who were shipped to Connecticut from down south. I think someone mentioned Louisiana.


It matters not. We were told there is an abundance of stray dogs down south. Enough of an abundance that dogs are getting shipped north constantly.


This truckload of pups and such landed at Dog Star Rescue, just west of Hartford. He was part of a litter of eight. Those kind folks at Dog Star Rescue gave each of the eight pups a name . . . the name of an insect. (I know, they must have been running out of 'normal' names.) They just happened to arrive the same Saturday Andrea and I decided to take a ride and check the place out. Not to get a dog. Just look around. Certainly not to get a puppy named Tick. Certainly not.


Well, that plan lasted only until Andrea laid her eyes on this little fur ball with big, hairy ears and a tail that defies description. If I'm right, which is unlikely, he was four months old when - dazed, frazzled, bug-eyed - we left Dog Star Rescue with a pup in arms.


No food. No treats. No toys. And no crate in which to park him until he became house trained. Yes, good planning.


Well, Tick survived long enough for us to quickly change his name to Simcha (Joy in Hebrew). And he's survived long enough to make it to his first birthday. Although, there were times when that outcome was not assured. Many times.


Still, he's here. We have food. We have a dog crate. We have more dog toys than we know what to do with.


And now we have a one-year-old . . . who is still very much a pup. But better today than before. Andrea has taught him to sit, stay and not take her arm off when the two of them play Ninja Tug-of-War. Neither one of us has had much success yet in teaching him not to jump.


Maybe that's year two.


But, he's not leaving. Not when "Mom" has as much fun playing Ninja Tug-of-War as Simcha does. And not when he lies quietly, serenely, unobtrusively on the floor of my office for three hours of an afternoon. That picture? That's pretty nice. That's my dog.


And we had a birthday today.


Happy Birthday, Simcha. Happy Birthday to us.


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