It has been a tough week made more difficult because I missed my weekly volunteer session with the senior dogs of Muttville. 

"You can always tell about somebody by the way they put their hands on an animal."

~ Betty White

I stopped at my neighborhood Chinese restaurant to see my friend behind the counter and get some vegetables and fish with black bean sauce. To my delight, a man who was already at the counter getting food had a black retriever on a leash standing behind him. I waved my fingers lightly at the dog. She gave me a slight wag of her long tail in reply. Mentally I wished the man to keep chatting and ordering more food, so I had enough time to approach his dog slowly. She gave me encouraging signs to keep up my sidling. 

How do dogs know you need them?

Quickly dropping to my knees, I crouched next to her. She pushed as close to me as she could on her leash. She had a thin piece around her muzzle to keep her from picking up garbage from the sidewalk. She couldn't kiss me because of it, but I still put my head down and let her sniff my hair. She agreed I was worthy of her efforts to get closer and allow me to snuggle her body. I did.

Anyone with a heart would feel the need to help a dog in distress. When I see a dog struggling, I want to help, or at least try to help. It is an intuitive feeling I have. When my dog panted in the backseat of our car, I knew it was her way of managing her stress. She did not like being in the "flying bed" at all. Since I knew she could tolerate the pressure, I ensured she had the biggest payoff when we arrived at our destination. If we were going to the beach, we would stay and play for at least an hour or more. If she had to go for her vet check-up, we went for a long walk before we had to drive home. I empathized with her.

Whenever I am in the doggy loft at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, and I see a dog in distress, I want to help. Over the years volunteering there, I have learned that sometimes new dogs will take longer to relax in their new environment. Since these are all old dogs, I may meet a dog struggling with untreated dental pain. Sometimes a dog is simply missing their old familiar life and person. I can understand and empathize with those feelings myself.

Having an abundance of compassion for any animal in distress is a good thing. I wouldn't change that, and I am grateful that at Muttville, they offer ways to alleviate all of the dogs' stress.

Throughout September!! Pet Food Express is hosting its Virtual Pet Fair, California’s largest, pet adoption event and the pet industry’s first-ever virtual fair of its size with over 7,000 animals available for adoption!

In my experience, a dog can be a natural bridge between two people. I cannot count the times my big adopted dog did her part, making sure I knew my neighbors and local shopkeepers. Sometimes it was her extra-large size that prompted a conversation with a stranger. Sometimes her unexpected presence in a room allowed me to escape a knot of people. She didn't know I needed saving or how she was helping me, but my lowered anxiety was tangible.

Mind if I join you for a bit?

A dog's natural ability to diffuse a room is powerful and effective because I have also experienced it in the doggy loft at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. I have watched an agitated person walk into a room, spy an old dog doing anything from being cute while they nap to being cute as they trot across the floor, and see their limbs and expression visible relax. I imagine their blood pressure is lowering as their face transforms into soft eyes and maybe a smile.