Of Love and Sacrifice

We all can use a little more love. Here's a recipe.

I don’t know about you, but three weeks of Trump 2.0, with all the blaming, and the firehose of lies and degradation, have me ready to write about something else. Don’t worry, we’re going to get four years (if not more) to discuss the lawbreaking, norm-busting business of this administration, but for today, DOGS!

Last Spring, after 10+ years, we lost our beloved rescue dog, Carmen. It was very sudden. We went for a long walk, came home, she had breakfast, and then laid down on the living room rug, never to rise again. A word here about the difference between the debilitating, lingering final illness, versus the sudden death of a loved one, human or otherwise. I’ve experienced both, and I’m not sure which is worse. The former represents a chance to prepare, but the pain is persistent until death is a kind of sad relief. The latter’s suddenness gives us no chance to prepare, and while the suffering beforehand is diminished, we’re hit by a ton of bricks at their passing.

After healing for a number of months, we realized that for us, a house without a dog is just not a home. So, we started looking, with a preference for a middle aged or older dog. NO PUPPIES. Been that route. Before Carmen, we had sixteen years with our Lab/Border Collie littermates, Atlas and Apollo. Those two enjoyed our big, wooded and fenced backyard in Atlanta, where they hunted in tandem, flushing out the seemingly inexhaustible supply of squirrels, chipmunks, and once or twice—memorably—snakes.

They loved going in the car, and had the run of the house where they were allowed everywhere except on the bed. Never, ever on the bed…

It was fun having four kids and two puppies in the house, but that’s definitely a time-of-life thing. So, this time, we were quite firm. We wanted a rescue, and only one, hopefully a staid and dignified senior citizen. But above all else, NO PUPPIES. Fast forward to this year, and, you guessed it: PUPPIES!

Call it fate, kismet, or the stars aligning, but a few weeks ago, a friend called and said she knew of Australian Shepherd puppies whose parents are both active duty Navy, and because of a technical specialty needed overseas, the doggies’ daddy could potentially be re-deployed after just returning from a prolonged deployment. It doesn’t seem fair, particularly in light of the fact that his wife is also up for deployment. We know it’s the kind of disruption the Navy tries hard to avoid, but sometimes it happens, and when duty calls, marines, soldiers, airmen, and sailors alike, answer, no questions asked.

I won’t go on here about the exceptional nature of our countrymen who voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way to protect the rest of us. It’s an old story that doesn’t need me to embellish it. Suffice to say, our friends and neighbors who compose the volunteer military live with inconvenience, personal upheaval, and the looming threat that when that ship goes over the horizon, some of its contingent may not see our shores again.

We met the couple and the puppies shortly after learning of their predicament. Initially, they were looking for a forever home for these two rambunctious rascals, and in light of the sacrifices they make every day, we could hardly say no.

Then, reality set in on all sides. The family wasn’t looking forward to losing these beloved dogs, and we weren’t ready to become fulltime parents. You see, they are A LOT! Freya, we deem The Destroyer of Worlds, and her littermate/accomplice, Astrid, is The Mistress of Mischief (don’t leave that turkey sandwich on the counter).

It dawned on the four of us that a great solution was right at hand. We’d take the dogs during the week when the kids are in school and the parents are at work, and the dogs would go to their original home Thursday night through Sunday.

A month in, everyone—two- and four-legged participants—are happy. The dogs don’t have to spend weekdays in their playpen, and the parents don’t have to stress about not being there. We have the time and inclination to train the pups, take them on long walks, and generally lavish praise on these very sweet canines.

It's an arrangement that is one stop past fostering, and one stop short of adoption. I’d wager it’s available in countless other situations, so if you’re interested in helping service members, their dogs and families, while getting a lot of love in return, without making the full-time commitment of dog ownership, I hope you’ll look for, and consider a similar opportunity.

So much for the break. Next time, we’ll get back to the large scale destruction of our Constitution and the rule of law at the hands of two irredeemable narcissists. In the meantime, don’t believe everything you read or see; they may not be good at governing, but they are expert liars.

©2025 Jon Sinton