Gift from a valiant little friend

Many of you who read here know Marika and know that the last couple of months have been hard on her because she lost her companion of sixteen years, Dash. I was lucky enough to meet the plucky little Dash a couple of times in New Orleans before he moved to the Ozarks, where the mountains breathed new enthusiasm and adventure into his days. He was a greatly loved dog, the subject of many stories, and he’ll be remembered by everyone who ever knew him even if they only read of his exploits online.

When I told Marika that Anime’s rescue fell through and that Tom and I happily adopted this BARC dog as our own, I also told her some of Anime’s nutty behaviors that emerge as she gets more comfortable in our home. As it happens, some of them mirror Dash’s antics, so we both like to think she carries a little of his spirit inside her.

Marika wanted to make a gift of Dash’s blankets to the rescue group I work for. One is his soft blanket of pink hearts, and another is a “Supernatural” blanket that Marika received as a gift but that Dash claimed as his own. (If you know of Dash, you know that in a contest of wills, he was always going to win.) She told me to choose either of the blankets for Anime as a “welcome to your new home” gift from her and Dash.

Marika also sent Dash’s dog bowls for Anime, who was eating and drinking from whatever random bowls we pulled out of the cabinet, because we hadn’t anticipated getting another dog and haven’t had time to shop for her.

It’s hard to remember when there wasn’t an Anime here. She loves all The Compound dogs and can hold her own with Tim’s big dogs. She’s been known to entice even old lady Margot into playing, and both Guinness and Margot will let her curl up and sleep with them during their day naps. At night, Anime sleeps in a crate at the foot of our bed, and now she snuggles into Dash’s pink blanket.

I tried to get a photo of her sleeping on it, but as soon as she saw me, she was up and at’em.

Thank you, Marika, for honoring our dog with these gifts from your Dash. Soon the rescue’s dogs will be riding comfortably on his other blanket, and I hope all of their forever homes have as much love as Dash knew in his life with you.