I have been lucky enough to have a four-legged best friend for the last 10 years. Sophi Dog is the best of the best - Sweet, loyal, fun, cuddly, funny, adventurous, caring, patient - everything you could ever hope for in a best friend.
Sophi is an English Springer Spaniel. She is a nearly identical twin to Freckles, the dog I grew up with. Sometimes when I'm looking through old pictures, I have to think for a minute about whether it's Soph or Freckles.
Sophi was a pound dog. My boyfriend-at-time and I were killing some time and went to the pound to walk and play with some of the dogs. Sophi was in her little cage just laying there looking sad. There was a note on her cage that said something like - If you're interested in this dog, please tell the staff. This dog is scheduled to be euthanized.
Well, we took Sophi into the yard and played with her and pet her and loved her up and she was such a love! But, we weren't looking for a dog... It didn't fit our unstable life, or our unstable relationship. I put her back in her cage and the look she gave me... I'll never, ever forget it. It was a How could you do this to me, you bitch?
I went home and thought about her all night.... I was back at the pound the next morning before they even opened. I knew we were meant to be together. And Soph rode out of the parking lot sitting on my lap in the front seat of the car.
The boyfriend didn't last, but Soph and I have stuck together through thick and thin. She and I have been on some crazy adventures. We have traveled back and forth across the country several times by car and by plane. We drove to Alaska together and lived together in a tent for a whole summer - a very small tent. Then we took the ferry back to the "lower 48."
We've jumped in glacial streams together, swam in oceans, hiked and backpacked and explored all over the northwest and the country. We both love to swim and jump in any body of water at any chance we get.
Sophi sings a howling version of Happy Birthday - no birthday is complete without a serenade from Soph.
She loves to "fish," she'll spend hours wading around in the river looking for anything that moves and when the time is right, she plunges her face in the water in the hopes of catching something - she never has...
For a long time, it was just me and Soph. We've slowly added to the pack over the years - first, Jerry and Jobe, then Bosco Dog, then Rascal Cat, then Braedan. Sophi has fallen in love with each of them, and they have each fallen in love with her. Sophi is a true ray of light and a dependable love in our family.
There have been days when Sophi was the only one that could make me smile. She seems to know just what to do cheer me up. There are times when only a kiss from Soph will stop Braedan's crying. She is a stable, caring, unconditional friend for our pre-teen. She's a dependable buddy that will stay by Jerry's side in the garden well after dark. Rascal cat can always count on a bath and a snuggle buddy. She is Bosco's sidekick.
Sophi and I have spent the last 10 years together. What a lucky human I am!
I took Soph to the vet last week because I was worried about a lump.... Usually, the doc says oh it's nothing - just a fatty tumor. This time, he didn't say that. He was quiet, then he said I'm pretty concerned about this one.... We don't know anything yet. She gets the lump removed on April 28th and we'll find out more then.
