Everyone needs a fleet of flying monkeys to rip the stuffing out of the annoying people in their lives
— Laura
This dog. This dog right here is one of the sweetest, most gentle beasts you will ever met. We can’t go out in public without every person who crosses our path smiling and stopping to pet and talk to him. I took him to a street fair in a small town near here once and what should have taken us about an hour to look around, took us four hours due to everyone stopping to pet and talk to him. True story, because this embodies everything about this dog: last week I took him to the veterinarian for a heartworm refill on his preventative medication. Anyway, we walked through the door, Bobo heeling like a pro beside me on a leash, and we made a beeline directly to the front desk to check in. I had to complete a record on him because he was a new patient. As I stood at the desk completing the form, Bobo sat by my side. I heard a woman who was seated to the side of me let out a small whimper, and I glanced over and saw her, head down, on a cell phone. I went back to the forms and I heard “I don’t want to… but..but he’s so sick…the vet said it would be best.” She started sobbing hard. ”Oh shit, that sucks,” I thought and I looked down at Bobo, who was staring at her. I took up the slack in his leash so he wouldn’t bother her and went back to completing the forms. Just as I completed the tenth page (I exaggerate, there were only nine pages) and started to hand them to the receptionist I heard the woman saying “Such a sweet boy.” I instantly realized I had absent mindedly released the slack in the leash as I was filling out the forms. I turned and saw that Bobo had walked over to the crying woman and was pressed against her, literally leaning into her, with his head laying in her lap. She had her tear-stained face buried in his scruff, telling him he was handsome and sweet. His tail was slowly wagging. I just stood there, not wanting to interrupt when a door opened and a girl in scrubs called “Mrs. Smith. Ready to come back in the room?” and the woman straightened up and said “Yes.” She quickly reached down, raised Bobo’s head and with a hand on each side of his face she said “Thank you” and kissed the top of his head. Then she stood, smiled at me and walked through the door the girl in scrubs held open. Bobo watched her go and then looked up at me, wagged his tail feverishly, and returned to my side. Good boy, Bobo.
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65 Responses to LOOK! A blog entry! Oh, and Merry Christmas from the Ledford Clan!!
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Good job Bobo. It is the hardest thing in a vet visit to know you are witnessing someone’s pain of loss. I know I don’t hold back. I cry when I see a person in that situation.
Bobo sounds like he would be an awesome therapy dog. *hint”
Merry Xmas to you and yours.
I knew I couldn’t look her in the eye for long without tearing up and fortunately I didn’t have to. EVERYONE tells me he’d make a great therapy dog. At the fair, as we were walking he looked behind us, stopped and started dragging me back because there was a little old woman with a walker and he wanted to get to her. She saw him and his wagging tail and she smiled and called him to her. He stood beside her making googly eyes at her and wagging his tail while she petted and talked to him. Later I found out that his previous daddy used a walker. Anyway, if I had more time I’d probably go get him certified and take him to some nursing homes. Maybe once the house is done (whatever year that may be- and he’s not too old by then.) Merry Christmas/Winter Solstice/Festivus/Ham or Turkey day to you and Sean!
In July, 2011, we adopted an 8 year-old Aussie Mix and a 2-ish year old setter mix. Strider, the Aussie, had been owned by an elderly woman who had to go into a nursing home, and Aubrey, the setter, was pulled from under a trailer with a litter of pups. One late August evening we were taking them for walk after the temps had cooled a bit, and Aubrey busted a bunny, hit the end of her retractable lead so hard she jerked me off my feet, and I fell, breaking my hip.
When I was in the hospital, Strider would shadow my husband everywhere, keeping an eye on him. When I came home, Strider would block Aubrey from rushing ahead of me when I was motivating on my walker. No barks, no growls, just physically putting his body in her path so she would have to stop. He, too, knew what a walker was, and how to handle a himself and others around it.
He is such a great old boy, getting older and slower, but whatever he needs, he gets. Aubrey is still my little wild child. The day she settles down is the day I will really feel old!
Rescue dogs are the best.
Wishing you all the joys 2014 can bring!
Rescue dogs ARE the best. I am a firm believer in that.
I have watched Hobo with older people and he’s so gentle and sweet- he also seems to be attracted to them, I am sure this is because his previous dad was very old. Small children have rushed up to him also and he stands still and lets them hug him, occasionally turning to lick their faces. Oh, and just a note here- I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED I tell you, how people allow their wee children to rush up on a dog! When it first happened I almost had a heart attack because I didn’t know how Bobo would react. I still tighten the lead in case he sniffs out a future serial killer.
I hope you and yours had a great Christmas and that your New Year is fantastic!
It’s a well known fact that some of the best Christians are dogs….that doesn’t sound right…well maybe it does.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you!
Way to tear me up on Christmas Morning, Bobo. Thanks.
Merry Christmas to the Ledford Clan!!!
He says you’re welcome. Merry Christmas!
What a wonderful story about a wonderful dog. Happy “howlidays” to all the Ledford clan, two and four legged alike.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Ledford Clan! And thank you for the lovely, heart-warming story Laura. Bobo, you have a very good heart.
Merry Christmas! Bobo is truly the sweetest dog ever.
Aaaaaaand tears. Loads of them. Now I must go hug Tucker. Merry Christmas, friend!
Merry Christmas!!
I think Tucker would have tried to come help cheer that lady up too, but the 180 lbs. of dog is not exactly graceful, and he would have probably knocked her over by accident. He would have felt really bad about it, and probably would have drooled on her in an attempt to make her feel better.
I think rescue dogs are particularly sensitive to human suffering, because so many of them have seen suffering themselves.
So basically, he’d drown their sorrows by literally drowning them in saliva, eh?
Yep! Welcome to my world!
But he’s so sweet and cuddly, and adorable, and loving, that you don’t even notice the drool!
Way to go, Bobo. And that’s why we love dogs.
Sure ’nuff.
Such a beautiful story! I’m sitting on the couch all onion eyed, surrounded by my 3 dogs and cat and not one of them got up to kiss my tears away. Lazy hounds! Bobo is an angel in disguise!! Merry Christmas Bobo and Laura!
Bobo would have “hugged” you. That’s what I’m calling his lean and head laying move. Seriously, he would have.
Merry Christmas!
<3
Back at cha.
Dammit, I wasn’t expecting to get all goobly-eyed on Christmas morning. Ah well, Merry Christmas to you and yours.
And to you and yours!
Dang, my eyes just sprang a leak again!
Sorry. It was the sweetest thing I’d ever seen though- what that dog did.
Have you considered Bobo for sainthood? It’s about time for all those Bernards to have some competition!
Ha! He is a very good dog for sure.
Damn. Not your typical post. Wasn’t expecting to tear up. Shoulda had a tissue alert or something.
From now on, expect the unexpected!
Bobo obviously has work to do. When Gus spent his weekend at the animal hospital I learned to hate that place (people there were great) as I watched family after family have to make a hard choice based on monetary reasons. That hospital figured an estimate – added 20% to the estimate – then insisted on full payment up front before beginning any treatment at all. Didn’t hear anything under 2 grand. Most folks can’t just shell out that sort of money on the spot. Sigh.
Good boy, Bobo.
Oh my god, when Jack had his back surgery they wanted an estimate of half up front (around $3500 they said) and I just threw my wallet at them and said “WHATEVER IT TAKES- DO IT- FIX HIM!!” It is very sad that a lot of times it does come down to money for people, I also understand the side of the vet- it is a business- there are mega-expenses for them to practice. I count myself VERY, VERY fortunate that with all my previous animals, when the decision time came there was no other course of treatment to help them or ease their pain.
I hope you and yours are all doing well!
Awww. That is totally sweet. Thanks for a nice story on a sometimes stressful day. Now off to snorgle my 55 lb bundle of snuggles!
Nothing better than snorgling a snuggle. Well, except for gin and bacon.
I gotta admit – as I read this aloud to the husband, I got a little choked up. You have a great dog in your life!
I really do, even J the Nazi thinks he’s wonderful.
What a wonderful dog!
He really is.
Geeze Laura…what a beautiful story. But you know they say dogs take after their owner….so there’s that. Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family. Blessings for a great 2014……
Merry Christmas to you and yours! I hope you have a great 2014 too! My 2013 turned out FANTASTICO!
I always have snarky comments, which is usually my nature, but they don’t always state my feelings of how you bring to the interwiz moments that are special, give hope and make me realize how special our pets really are and their contribution to making the world a better place.
Thanks for sharing. You’ll never know how special your posts really are.
Awww, why thank you for saying that.
Dogs are the best! Love to you and your family, including the furry family members!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you and yours and I hope your New Year is da bomb.
This was a very dusty post. Very dusty indeed. Now I need to go find some Kleenex…Hope the New Year brings the Ledford Clan lovely things.
And to your clan too!
Good boy, Bobo! Merry Christmas all!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I swear to The Maker I am going to kill those motherfucking, dust-covered, onion-cutting ninjas one day. ONE DAY!!!
But not today. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and thanks for sharing your owners with us
Merry Christmas to you!!
A beautiful story. Bobo sure does know how to tug at the heart strings. That’s not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all. Hope your Christmas was great and that 2014 brings bigger and better things to the Leford clan!
Hope yours was great too and that your New Year is fantastic!
Bobo is such a wonderful gem. I truly believe dogs are not only empathic but seriously telepathic. I do. Dot is a rescue Lab and has the same sweet demeanor that makes her known to every human and dog that the hub and she pass while walking. We are very lucky to have these animals and Bobo is just the bomb.
We are the lucky ones! I just can’t get over how damn sweet he is.
I check in occasionally to see if there is a new entry because I really need something to laugh about and cheer me up most days. I was waiting for the punch line in this one, but when I came to the end it made me cry like a little girl instead of laugh.Funny thing is, it did cheer me up. Very heartwarming story. You shouldn’t print too many more like it,though. People might start thinking that you have a kind heart or something…………….
We mustn’t have that!!
I just read your post to the hub and we’re both in tears.
Awww. Bobo wouldn’t like that.
Having been through this too many times, I know all too well what that woman was feeling. Good job Bobo.
We have to know going into this being a responsible pet owner that our pets are going to do this to us. We can not let them take that last journey alone.
Anyway, I have something in my eyes and must go now.
It is, by far, the worst part of having a pet.
I–I–I have something in my eye. . . I had to put down my husband’s dog a couple of months ago. YES, THAT’S RIGHT, *I* HAD TO PUT DOWN THE DOG. And the rest of my dogs went and hid. Not one of them hung around to give me least bit of moral support. Assholes.
Good Bobo.
Why those uncaring sonsabitches tell them about Bobo!
Anyway, sorry you had to go through that.
That was such a sweet story. Glad you’re posting again. Any new crazy neighbor stories?
This is a sweet youtube channel, the hidden blade and wolverine claws are my favs so far https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mISNOvuzn60
Cool!
I only have one crazy neighbor that likes to throw her yard trimmings in my yard!