What more could a four-legged fella ask for?
05 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in My life Tags: career, Josh, lake, Lake Eufaula, McAlester, Oklahoma, Paul, Shawnee
There are so many dogs out there that would be jealous.
Because really, what could a lake dog complain about? If there is anything, it will be pointed out. Really doubt there is any.
Day in, day out is fairly the same for this lake dog. Wake your owners up an hour or so after the sun rises with the sound of your whimpers. I’m sure after eight hours in a warm kennel, the urge to relieve yourself is imminent.
Then, hit the ground running with the day’s new scent, look for squirrels or deer and make sure your best friend, a yellow Labrador retriever, is ready for adventure in the neighborhood that sits along the shore of Lake Eufaula.
This particular dog didn’t always have it so good. The first five to six months of his life are a mystery to the ones that love him.
It was mid-February earlier this year when he stirred a big commotion in the pressroom at the Shawnee News-Star. He was a young pup curious about everything — even the semi truck that nearly ran him over outside the newspaper. When he wandered in the pressroom through the loading dock door he sniffed around everywhere. He was marked with cyan ink from a messy pressman who attempted to keep him from toxic chemicals.
A few ladies gave him some of their dinner and tap water. After he finished, he laid down in the middle of the floor of the creative department at the News-Star. He slept for nearly an hour.
Within that hour he won over the hearts of the News-Star staff — and one particular page designer. There was no way anyone could see putting him back on the streets, so he was taken home for the night to later be put up for adoption through a local shelter.
Finding an adoption program that would immediately take a puppy was difficult and emotional. Days passed and no one claimed the found puppy.
A few names were suggested in the meantime: Blue, Oreo, Harvey or Harley. He never really answered to those names, and must have been unimpressed.
A couple of weeks passed, and that heart-struck page designer found him a home at Lake Eufaula with her boyfriend. Soon after, the pup was named Paul and a solid friendship began. And Paul was very impressed with his new name.
Nowadays, Paul wakes up from his warm kennel to seize whatever the lake life brings him.
Paul loves to walk down to the boat dock to swim. He also visits neighboring dogs, chases neighbors on golf carts and lays out in the sun.
Paul is very much an outdoor dog — except at night when he willingly walks to his kennel indoors to earn his little treat. He picks up his “Stevey” and “Sheepy” and places them in the perfect cuddle position. He usually sighs heavily as if he had an exhausting day of adventure
and naps.
He has a little sweetheart named Zoe, a shih tzu who stays inside most of the time. When she’s allowed to play for a little while, he tones it down for her. Don’t be fooled, she’s a tomboy.
See, nothing to complain about. And if Paul could participate in an interview, the truth would be revealed. However, a wagging tail is a sign of satisfaction, happiness and excitement, right?
