A few
weeks ago on what seemed to be a nice day I took my Shih Tzu puppy, Jimi, out
for a walk. Because Jimi had a growth removed from his back the week before, he
had to wear a funnel around his head so he wouldn’t bite the scar and disrupt
the healing process. As we proceeded with our walk, a few raindrops fell on our
heads. These sparse droplets soon turned into the relentless pelting of
torrential rain. Jimi was frightened and confused, feeling the sting of the
rain upon his back but not being able to see the source because of the
obstructing cone. He sat down and thrust his head skyward in order to see what
was happening. Slowly, his funnel began to fill with water. Jimi, paralyzed
with fear and bemusement, kept his head in this position, hoping that this
ordeal would soon be ameliorated. The water, though, crept towards the rim of
the cone, filling it to capacity. Jimi fell to the ground with one harrowing
gasp, desperately trying for one last breath. He remained motionless, except for
the semi-circular pivoting of his body, caused by the cone on his head making
him roll right, then left, and so forth until he came to a final, soggy halt. I
miss my dog. Especially when it’s raining. Or when I am using a funnel.