Many years ago, I landed a job as a bookkeeper at a small company that sold tractor parts. I was a new mother at the time, and I’d only been out of college for a few years. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so the employment agency placed me in this unlikely position. I knew nothing about tractors — much less about the parts that make them function. Frankly, I didn’t know much about bookkeeping either.
At first, I felt out of place in this male-dominated, machine-centered environment. The modular, no-frills office was set on land that was littered with metal parts and enclosed by a chain-link fence. It was nothing like the pretty, polished offices I had worked in before, and I didn’t think I would like it there. Then I met the company watchdog.
Sammy was a slightly overweight German shepherd mix who lived on the property. Although he had shelter and basic care, I viewed him as a dog without a home, and I felt sorry for him. I thought about my own dogs, lounging on the couch with the family every night. Didn’t every dog deserve that kind of life?
Over time, I came to realize that my preconceptions were flawed. The tractor parts shop turned out to be a nice place to work, with friendly coworkers and — although bookkeeping was not my calling — days spent in that office were not unpleasant. The same was true about Sammy. Yes, every dog DOES deserve a comfortable life with a loving family, but Sammy was far from homeless, lonely, or miserable. He had fresh food and water every day, and he was wildly popular with employees and customers. He seemed happy.
About 20 years later, I passed a man living on the sidewalk with his dog. The two of them were curled up together on a sleeping bag. There were empty food containers nearby, and a bowl of water. I left the area for a couple of hours, and when I returned, the man was being taken away by police and the dog was being put into an Animal Control vehicle. It was heartbreaking to see the man pounding desperately on the walls of the van, begging not to be separated from his dog. I don’t know what happened or why the police were called, but the scene made me think about how vulnerable those who don’t “fit the mold” can be.
These days, I travel often and try to keep an open mind about the different ways that people and pets live. I don’t automatically assume that it’s wrong for a pet to live primarily at a workplace, or that a person who is homeless does not deserve to have a pet. While I insist that every animal deserves care and comfort, I have realized that there are many paths to fulfilling those needs.