A Dog’s Purpose

I saw the movie, A Dog’s Purpose, when it first came out in 2017. It was such a touching movie and so true about how our dogs come into this world to be exactly what we need.

They do it with such selfless abandon, it seems hard to believe something so good and pure could exist, especially in this day and age.

My first dog as an adult was Mickey who was adopted from The North Shore Animal League back in 1996. She was my first baby and the only dog that I let sleep in the bed with me.

She was a beautiful beagle mix and the sweetest dog.

I think Mickey’s main purpose was to help me prepare for motherhood and learn how to love unconditionally.

When my first daughter, Caity was born, Mickey took a back seat, but was still the best dog and will always be my first “baby”.

She was there for all my subsequent babies and every time I was pregnant, she knew to be extra loving and cuddly.

As she got older and started to decline, we decided to get another dog, so the kids wouldn’t be as sad when it was time for Mickey to go. So we adopted Matti, a mutt of all mutts, who was like a fluffy teddy bear and everyone fell in love with her right away.

Matti wasn’t the smartest dog we ever had, but she made up for it with her sweet disposition and never ending affection.

In 2011, After Mickey passed away at almost 15 years old, Matti really stepped up and knew we all needed extra love and attention. Her purpose was loving us through our grief.

But after she was done consoling us, she was depressed and we knew she needed a playmate so we got Jeter, the runt of a German Shepherd litter.

We got Jeter when she was four months old.  I understand why police and military often use German Shepherds. From the beginning, she was so smart, loyal and protective.

Jeter and Matti had a typical sibling relationship with some rough housing and fighting, but mostly lots of playing, chasing each other around in the yard and sharing a dog bed, when there were always two to choose from.

They were inseparable until December of 2020 when the dogs were playing in the yard and suddenly Matti wouldn’t come inside. She was lying in the grass unable to move and Jeter was standing vigil by her side.

When we finally got Matti inside, she was breathing heavily and in obvious distress. We brought her to the emergency vet and they quickly determined her spleen had ruptured and she wasn’t going to make it.

We made the painful, but necessary decision to put her down. The kids were all able to join us at the vet and say their goodbyes.  I hadn’t seen that many collective tears since my dad died in 2015. It was heartbreaking to bid farewell to our beloved Matti, but I was so thankful everyone got to kiss her one last time.

Jeter may have been the saddest of all of us because of course she didn’t understand where her best friend had gone. 

When the two of them would go outside to play, they’d always wait for each other on the patio before running to the grass to chase squirrels. After Matti passed away, Jeter would just wait there for a long time, as though she thought maybe she would appear. It was so so sad.

Eventually I guess she realized Matti wasn’t coming back, but it took a few months until she was back to her old self.

Now that Jeter is a senior citizen, there isn’t much squirrel chasing or frolicking in the yard. Most of her days are spent sleeping and hanging out with us in the TV room. As her health is declining, I am reminded that we never have enough time with the ones we love most.

She has been my rock during many tough times in the past few years and her loyalty and love is something I don’t think I will ever have again.

She has been our fierce protector against any and all people who come to the door, our healer of broken hearts and the sweetest German Shepherd our vet said he ever met.

As her vision and hearing fades, her eyes gloss over and sometimes I don’t think she can see us too well. But when we pet her and talk to her, her tail wags and I know she feels how much she is loved.

Jeter’s purpose for being our dog has so many layers. Aside from being the smartest, most loyal and protective dog I’ve ever had, I know her main purpose for being here was to show us you can help others heal, even when you’re broken yourself.

I pray we have many more months or years with our sweet Jeter. I am not ready to let her go. But when her time comes, her love and loyalty will be imprinted on my heart forever.