Daisy Doolittle's Blog

Steps for Pets October 2, 2011

Today was an overcast, cool day. I just wanted to spend the day in my people’s bed, cuddled under their blankets (shhh…don’t tell them that I do that). Instead, my people announced that we were doing a charity walk for the Lowell Humane Society – Steps for Pets. Needless to say, I jumped out of bed and put on my best collar. I love doing charity walks. It is always wonderful to see other canines gathered for a worthwhile cause – namely us!

This walk, was held in Lowell (which is a big city of 100,000 or so people) – on part of the campus of the University of Massachusetts. Unlike the MSPCA Walk for Animals, it lacked any turkey or porcine intruders which my people thought was a good thing. We didn’t even run into any university party animals, but the walk started at noon, so it was probably too early for them to be staggering about. Now I know you are probably thinking that without a major security incident that I couldn’t possibly have had a good time – but that wouldn’t be true. I had a pawsome time!

I met some wonderful canines and their people today! We walked along the banks of the Merrimack River as a pack, while watching a huge Regatta gathered on the other side. Crew teams were in boats on the river – which seems very dangerous to me given the risk of getting wet. I stayed on the pathways – I for one do not like WET! Apparently none of the other canines did either since no one attempted to join the crew teams – but then I don’t recall seeing any retrievers (those crazy dogs will jump into anything for a tennis ball!). Every canine at the walk was given a beautiful orange bandana to wear, so in a way we were all showing those crew teams that we had team unity and spirit too – even if we chose to keep our paws on terra firma! Frankly, I think I look dashing in my bandana and plan on wearing it on Halloween. It’s sophisticated, yet understated I think. Not frightening, yet festive…but enough of my good fashion sense.

The best part of Steps for Pets was that it featured free samples everywhere! Some I took home to try at a later date, but some I tried right at the walk. I sampled something called a Thanksgiving dinner – it was fabulous! My people said it was a speciality food which was expensive. Of course, I immediately vowed that I would have to be up extra early every morning to wake my person up for work so that they could earn enough to buy me the good stuff. I also made a note to myself about talking my other person out of retirement – it’s clear we need two people working in order for me to have the high quality diet I need and deserve! I never realized that they had been slacking off giving me kibble when I could have been having chicken and turkey everyday! Who knew?! These charity walks can be very educational.

But my people don’t bring me to charity walks so that I can see what I don’t have – they bring me so I can see how much I do have. I have a loving family, a warm house, a big yard and plenty of food. I get cuddles, hugs and kisses on my nose. I get cheese and belly rubs when I visit grandma & grandpa. I have a blog, Facebook page and a Twitter account. I have people who stop me on my walks just so they can say hello. I was a lonely, scared shelter dog once – a throw away canine – waiting, hoping to be loved. Now I walk for those canines still in shelters. I walk to give them hope.