In October of 1980 I found the most beautiful dog in the world on my
doorstep (really). I live in an apartment complex with about 800 families in 5
buildings. It seems that some miserable human being had thrown her out of
a car at one of the busiest and most dangerous intersections in Yonkers.
When I came home from work some neighborhood kids were feeding a beautiful
black dog with white markings (white paws belly tip of tail and a white cross
on her chest) in the lobby of my building right in front of my apartment door.
I gave her some left over chicken and went into my apartment.
A couple of hours later I looked out my door and there she was. I called
her in and she proceeded to fall asleep right next to me on the couch. When my
father came home from work he told me to bring her to the Animal Shelter.
We had a dog named Scamp for 18 years and he didn’t want to get attached and
hurt again. That night she slept on my bed with me. The next morning I
did as I was told-not thinking I should have left her alone with him and he
would have fallen in love with her in about 5 minutes. I couldn’t work that day
or sleep that night-I felt like a horrible person. The next day I left work
early and went to the shelter. I told the girl my story and she asked if I
would recognize the dog-we didn’t have to worry-as we approached the cages
there she was. She went crazy and barked and tried to jump the fence which
was probably 8 feet high-she almost made it.
As I signed papers in the office this beautiful animal leaned against my leg.
I guess she was mine from the first second we saw each other. The dog I
had for free 2 days before now cost $25 she would have been worth millions
more and it was the best money I have ever spent.
Well as expected my father fell completely in love. We live in the same
apartment so my Mystie was very rarely alone. During the day he took her
with him a lot. A friend of his told him that she was not and ordinary dog-there
is no such thing they are all special-seems she was an Australian Kelpie.
I wrote to kennel clubs in Australia to get some information about my Kelpie.
One of my letters wound up getting lost and in someone else’s mailbox.
Well I have had a friend-Cathy- in Australia for over 15 years now.
Cathy and I are not just pen-pals we have become very good friends.
She even had her first baby on my birthday.
My Mystie and I spent most of our time together that is unless it was
somewhere I couldn’t take her like work. My favorite times were always
with her-it was just natural. Even our vet couldn’t believe the bond we had.
She understood my every word and mood. I really don’t feel complete without her.
She would sleep in my arms like a baby and put her beautiful head on my shoulder.
There were times she would lie down next to me and touch my face with her
paw ever so gently-like a blind person trying to see what you look like-an
incredibly loving feeling. My father couldn’t take my Mystie from me-she
would wrap her leash around my legs and bark at him -unless
I was going to work then she would reluctantly go with him always
looking back at me with that “look”.
I went to California for 10 days the first summer I had my Mystie. She
was home with my father. She did not eat for the whole 10 days or drink water
for 9 days. If I had known I would have come home. When they picked me up at
the airport my Mystie went crazy. She wouldn’t stop kissing me and barking.
On the ride home she was sitting in my lap when she suddenly looked me right
in the eyes jumped in the back seat and wouldn’t go near me for the rest of
the trip. Boy was she ever mad at me. But as dogs always do-she forgave me.
I know dogs know when you come home from work and other routine things but
how did my Mystie know when I would be coming home from other places when I
didn’t even know myself? I would drive down my block and my father would
be walking her out of our building – he didn’t know why-she just wanted to go
out at that time. My windows face the back of the building and there was no
way she could hear my car.
There was the time when my mother died and my Mystie was the only one who
cared about how I felt. My Mystie sat on out bed facing me and licked the
tears from my cheeks. There was this incredible feeling I would get when
my Mystie looked at me. I really feel like there’s a whole in me where my
heart used to be. December 21,1995 was the worst day in my life
because I had to make the decision to put my baby to sleep. I will never
fully reconcile it and feel very sorry for anyone who has to make this
horrible decision. There were so many special times-even just holding her-this
little story would take forever.
As I said before our vet and other people couldn’t believe the bond between
us-which makes it all the harder. I was born into a family of dog lover
and have always had a dog and they have all been very special but
there was something very different with my Mystie.
Another odd thing that happened I saved change (quarters dimes
nickels and pennies) for 29 years because I was determined that
I was going to buy my first new car for cash.
Well in July of 1996 I bought a 1996 Chevy Beretta and the vehicle ID#
(which is on the car when it is built and a person has no choice what-so-ever)
reads in part : 1LV15M5TY15————————-or——-I love Mystie–the
two number 15’s I had her for 15 beautiful years.
That’s what makes it so hard for me-almost 3 years later I still cry and
sometimes it feels like someone is choking me it gets so bad.
I never want to love anything as much as I love my Mystie again- I don’t think
it is possible. I guess her headstone in Hartsdale Pet Cemetery sums it up—
” My Heart My Soul My Baby “
PS: Also I would love to meet the miserable person who dumped her out of their
car because I would love to tell them of the most wonderful creature ever
put on this earth and of 15 beautiful years of pure love and devotion that I was
luck to receive from my Mystie and then tell them exactly what I think of them.
I saw this on a T- Shirt and really is true:
“If dog did not exist—It would be necessary to invent him”
| Mystie |