Enter Phoebe

What is good about having a pet?

“Dogs are not just pets, they are furry therapists.”  – Unknown Author

My life has been lucky enough to have three dogs so far. My first love was Alexander the Great the Third. He was a gorgeous light gray Miniature Schnauzer who lived to be 19 years old. We brought him home when I was three years old and had just moved to our house on Long Island. 

When having a baby became excruciatingly painful, we adopted a black Flat Coated Retriever from a litter discovered at a construction site by my neighbor. We named her “Clancy”. When you are huge Bugs Bunny fans, your favorite episode involved Bugs and a group of mobsters. The one police officer instructs his squad “Clancy – take the boys and surround the house”. I’ll take useless trivia for $500 Alex…Clancy was a mush in every sense of the word. She loved our backyard and being with anyone who glanced her way. She laid on top of us each night and really calmed me down all of those years when I prayed for a baby to arrive. Once the kids took center stage Clancy protected them at every turn. Losing her at age 15 was something I’m still weepy about.

We swore off getting another dog after Clancy left us. That was until our Julia learned Microsoft Power Point. She couldn’t clean up her room but one Friday night after pizza she fired up her laptop and presented her case. She was smooth and swift hitting all of the sympathetic notes about why we needed a dog NOW. It’s no wonder Jules ended up in pre-law. Her case was a great success. Before we knew it we were approved by a local rescue group to pick up our new dog at one of the shelter’s pick up villages. 

When we arrived to check in, the volunteer explained that the dog we were picking up was at the vet’s office because she was pregnant. Well. A quick glance to the back seat to see Julia’s face turn beet red was all I needed to see. I popped out of the car and said to the volunteer “Listen. We need a new family member. Please. Help us.” 

Within five minutes a cute black dog with a chest flocked in white and very pointy ears was walking towards us. She walked right up to Julia and sat down at her feet. Julia said “Please welcome Phoebe”. 

Our new angel has been with us for five years. She is the star of the show. Walks 3 miles a day with Jake, sleeps on top of us each night, has her own Instagram page, won’t leave you alone unless you administer 10 minutes of belly rubs and ear scratches, and will lay with you while you sing to her all night long. She is our world. 

So when I read the prompt what is good about having a pet I realized that there is nothing bad about having a pet in my little corner of this universe.  I’m in love with being in love. 

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Author: KikiFikar

Kiki Fikar is a native New Yorker who is passionate about taking the day to day life we all experience and sharing it in her tales from Suburbia. She will often be found at the gym, writing snippets each day for future story lines, listening to her two children create their lives, and building the perfect beachfront home and writing retreat in her mind.

17 thoughts on “Enter Phoebe”

  1. “…there is nothing bad about having a pet in my little corner of this universe. I’m in love with being in love.” They really do find ways to dig into our hearts don’t they? Ha ha. And Phoebe looks beautiful. A cherished family member. Ha ha! 😆 😎😎😎

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  7. Isn’t it amazing how much love and joy they bring into our lives? How they enrich our earthly existence with something celestial, much like angels in disguise? A wonderful piece, Kiki! So touching and delicious all at once. I agree, “There is nothing bad about having a pet in my little corner of this universe”—only the goodbye is a little bit hard. Thank you for this great read! Truly enjoyed!! Infinite blessings and light to you and yours, Phoebe included 💖✨🙏🐕

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  8. How I love your words. Thank you for these thoughts! Our pets and dogs are our little angels sent to remind us of how yo love selflessly. Hope your week is off to a great start! ❤️❤️❤️

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  9. Pet are, indeed, therapeutic. Empathic as well. I can’t tell you how many times my dog has come up to me when I’m feeling low. They just know. Thanks for sharing, Kiki!!!

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