"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
-- Walt Disney
Get Involved
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"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." -- Walt Disney
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Get Involved
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March 12, 2010 | |||||||
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 Good Dog Karma Susie Hillman, Seattle, WA January 25, 2001 What goes around, comes around. It's an ancient idea, and if you throw your dog into the mix, well, then, it becomes a pretty important one. And isn't that especially true when you're on a never-ending quest to build a community? One writer's true canine caper suggests that giving a little of yourself may very well guarantee that everybody's looking out for you. NEW Follow the ongoing reader conversation on good karma. Fellow goodletter readers, When you see a loose dog running around, capture that dog and find its owner. The good karma will follow you around like a. . .well, like a dog. You'll make a dog and some people happy, and maybe if you ever lose your dog, your karma will bring her back. The simplified idea of karma is this: you reap what you sow. Put your kindness out into the universe and maybe it will come back to you. I think good karma saved our dog, Ada. She was rescued by two men who wouldn't have been able to live with themselves if they'd left her in the busy intersection where they found her. I know what can happen if you don't try to rope a stray. There was a loose black dog galloping around my street once while I walked Ada. It seemed happy to gambol and bark, racing in circles around us. I didn't try to catch it. Suddenly it spun out of its crazy orbit and careered into the street. Along came a yellow Buick, which ran over the dog. The dog rolled, bounced up, and began yelping hysterically as it raced down the street. I got in my car, determined to find and save it. But my chance to save it had passed. The poor dog, in its flight of panic, had sprinted out of the neighborhood in five seconds flat. I couldn't find it anywhere. I had to make amends to the canine gods. When an Australian shepherd came up to me in a parking lot, I crouched down and found she wore no tags. I looked around for a stray owner, and, finding none, put the dog in my truck. I brought her home, notified all the shelters, and made her my pet for one night. The next day there were "lost dog" posters up in the neighborhood, and I reunited her with her owner. The black dog still haunted me. I believe we're given chances to fix our karmic mistakes, and mine appeared when, again, I was walking Ada through my neighborhood. A black chow wiggled through his fence and came trotting after us. He followed us for a block or so, and probably would have indefinitely, but I remembered the dog of yellow Buick fate. So I took the chow by the collar back to his house and knocked on the door. His owner thanked me, and silently I thanked the chow for giving me the chance to bring him home. When it was my turn again to ride the karmic wheel for dogs, I was the helpless one. Ada disappeared when the phone repairman left our side gate open. My husband and I patrolled the streets, gradually losing our minds as darkness fell and we did not find her. As we drove around, I hung onto the fact that a lot of people around here own dogs. No dog owner could ignore a stray, could they? And risk that kind of bad karma? Wild with worry, we came back to check our messages. Maybe someone had found her. We discovered Ada standing behind our closed gate, and two guys with dachshunds talking to our neighbor. Apparently, the two men had found Ada cowering in traffic, ten blocks away. I put Ada's warm body on my lap and breathed great sighs of relief. I am deeply grateful to those guys with dachshunds, and know their kindness is out in the universe, waiting to strike when they need it. Cheers, Susie Hillman (write to Susie) A few of Susie's favorite goodthings: Exuberant dogs running free in off-leash areas; yoga poses that feel delicious; old-time country singers; Sunday afternoon naps; 1930s pottery; letters written the old-fashioned way - on paper, with drawings and notes in the margin; old hardbound books that smell like my grandma's house; Japanese hot-rock massage. . . . Readers Respond Want to share your thoughts or ideas with other people who care about goodthings? Send 'em our way. A letter from Joan Unwin, a reader from Tucson, Arizona: Dear goodthings: Shortly after adopting our retired greyhound, Blue Angel, we were driving on a very busy road in town with Blue in the back seat. Suddenly I spotted another greyhound loose in a parking lot dangerously close to the traffic! I ordered my husband to pull in so we could rescue the hound before it ran into the path of a car. As soon as we took our hound out of the car, the stray came over to her. Fortunately he had a tag on him with his owners name and phone number. We were so glad to have our cell phone with us. The frantic owners were relieved to know their sweet retired racing hound was safe and sound with fellow owners. It was a good day! A letter from Susan Rutford, a reader from Duluth, Minnesota: Dear Susie: Your story is all too familiar. I, too, have acted quickly and immediately to rescue a dog who is running loose and lost. I have to remind myself, that on the occasions of my rescue attempts, it was me who was placed at that particular place at that particular moment, even though those arriving prior or after me, seem concerned little for the dog, or even seem perturbed at my interruption to their timely and rushed travels to wherever they seem to be going in such a hurry. [To read Susan's story of a cold and wintery dog-karma-kind-of day, click here.] A letter from Jo Ann Payne, a reader near Charleston, South Carolina: Dear Susie: Your article is much needed - I hope everyone who reads it will also remember to act upon it if the occasion ever arises. Your story reminded me of an embarrassing situation I once had. [To find out what happened to Jo Ann, click here.] Hello, Great article. Last month in Marblemount WA while looking at bald eagles, about 150 miles from my home in Seattle, a large blue tick hound looked lost and searching for someone. My mom and I took her home for the night, not sure how to care for this gentle giant of a dog. As unsure as we were, she was a lady through and through, sitting quietly in the back of the car for hours. The next day we were determined to drop her off back up at the Sedro Wooley Humane Society, then dash off to La Conner for lunch. We just couldn't do it. So we drove out to Marblemount and knocked on a few doors. Finally we were referred to a gentleman who knew about these kinds of dogs. We had to wait 4 hours for him to get off work, but she was ever-patient in the car as we looked around the beautiful area, sipping coffee and watching the sun set. We met the nicest people who took her in and said if they couldn't find the owner, they would find her a home. They also broke all my stereotypical notions of country living and even hunting. Well, the dog gods were with her. And the night she spent in my tiny condo with three uncharming cats was worth it. She was well fed, and it looks like there was someone who missed her. This dog deserved to live a life she loved, not stuck in an urban pen. Maybe my story will inspire someone that sometimes it's worth driving 500 miles in two days to do the right thing. Thanks, Johanna Zamora Seattle, WA Dear Susie: As a fellow dog owner I say to you THANK YOU! I also believe in Good Dog Karma and go out of my way to return loose dogs to their owners. We all know "what goes around comes around" and as you found out, you never know when you will need Good Dog Karma to come around your way. Sincerely, Linda Sherk Doggie Parent to Heather, Emily and Chyna Southern California |
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