On a beautiful sunny day in December, my wife and I drove into an office supply store parking lot. Our cat had just passed away suddenly and we were traumatized. We saw a social media post advertising a Humane Society puppy drive and thought some puppy cuddles could be good therapy. We were about to move into a hotel for a few weeks in between homes, we had absolutely no intention of adopting a puppy…
Under a canopy, a little play-yard had been set up full of puppies. People were holding them around us, while volunteers shared stories and encouraged people to take the cuties home. We played with the rambunctious litter for a bit before my wife picked up Charlie. He sleepily cuddled into her arms and relaxed. We looked at each other. Charlie was joining our little family.
Charlie was found in a bush in Bodden Town, his mother ran away from the people who found his litter, and they were scooped up and brought into the Cayman Islands Humane Society. A scrawny, malnourished little thing covered in mange. He was originally given a preppy British name by the Humane Society — but we loved the name Charlie.
Charlie came with us everywhere. He snuck into stores in my wife’s handbag, slept on my lap in restaurants as I ate a hamburger over his head. He came to friends’ houses, pools, long drives to Kaibo, even waited outside for me when I went for a job interview. Charlie became an essential part of our daily adventures.
It is amazing how much love and laughter [dogs] bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them. John Grogan, Marley & Me
Since we had a baby Charlie has embraced his big brother role, especially since she started dropping food on the ground for him. Nobody can look as exhausted with the world as Charlie, even after a long day of napping to catch up on his much disturbed beauty sleep. In spite of how loud our daughter can be, he’ll check in on her to make sure she’s OK, coming to get us if he feels we’re not responding to her complaints fast enough.
My wife and I have a running bit where I insist it’s time for Charlie to get a job and stop being a free loader. I point to a dog working in the airport, or as a guide. She tells me he’s just a baby to which I retort he is absolutely not a baby and needs to get a job! Charlie is the only member in our household who has a birthright to work in these beloved isles! The truth is, Charlie has many jobs.
He’s our welcoming committee when we get home, our therapist when we’re sad, our entertainment when he’s feeling silly, and the best coffee buddy on an early morning wake up with our daughter.
On his fifth birthday, the year he lost his only-child status, I wanted to write something to honor our boy. He has been and continues to be a huge blessing to our family. I can’t wait for him to read this. Love ya buddy.
