Pongo was one of those stoic boys at the kennel that seemed to be disconnected from the neglect of his past. He seemed to be content with whatever, but the joys were questioned and the grief was common. I don't know if I would have picked him out had I gone over to the kennels. He was skinny and very weak from his heartworm treatment. His coat was a mess and he wasn't begging for attention. At first he didn't seem to really care.
But his eyes. When he looks at me---he stares deep into my soul. He looks long and hard to really see what I am thinking or how I am feeling. He knows. I am really convinced that he is a guardian angel or spirit guide in a dog suit who has come into my life to teach me and those around me so many things.
Pongo had been one of those puppy mill dogs that were kept in small cement cages and brought out only to breed. The vet commented that his paw pads had seemingly walked a million miles. They were worn and torn because he had always known cement as his home and bed. He was found with his mate and puppies fending for themselves under an old trailer. His owners had moved and just left the dogs to care for themselves however they could manage. No one knows how long they had been there alone but their skinny, malnourished bodies told a tale of up to a month.
I adopted him in August of 2003 from Weimaraner Rescue of North Texas. That day really began another journey that was life changing.
I took him to obedience classes and he caught on right away. I thought he had been trained before because I could tell him what to do only once or twice and he had it down. He listened and just had a sense of knowing. I was assured he had never been trained or treated respectfully before.
He understood how to behave very well but he didn't know what to expect from humans. He was very guarded in his responses. Someone had obviously hit him in the head because he is still a little head shy after three years. He still has a startle reflex even when the most gentle hands lay down upon his back. Slowly he worked through some of those harsh expectations of humans and knows the joys of being loved and cared for. He only started wagging his tail 6 or 7 months after we had adopted him. That was a day to celebrate. He had finally let his guard down so he could feel some happiness and love.
We got him certified through Delta Society to be a Pet Therapist. I work as a grief counselor and have a private practice in the Lake Highlands area of Dallas. Pongo has become a very important part of my sessions. And if he ever misses a day at the office (which is rare) every patient asks his whereabouts.
He is so amazingly intuitive with clients. If they are hurting, he will move close to them and let them pet all over him. He might nudge up on the couch with them and lay his head in their lap or lay at their feet. I have learned to always take a cue from Pongo regarding the depth of the pain and grief the client is experiencing. If he senses pain, he moves close. Sometimes he just lays close to their feet but he knows who is hurting.
If the session is not brimming with grief, he may choose to go out on the deck and bathe in the sun or watch the squirrels run through the trees or perhaps even talk to the other neighborhood dogs. He just knows when he is needed or when he can just hang out and chill.
Pongo is not one of those dogs that runs up and wants to be attended to. He is very quiet and unassuming. Typically the kiddos that come in will want him to stay with them, and he does in a very calm and quiet way. That is a lot of what he brings to the office---a sense of peace. It permeates the entire office space and helps to create a very healing environment.
He sometimes goes to hospitals, nursing facilities, hospices and special events too. He isn't the first dog that is usually noticed because he is so quiet and calm. But he is usually the one that is remembered because of his peaceful energy and willingness to just be with no attached expectatons.
He teaches many lessons to me, my clients and family members. Many people have learned that what someone has to offer is always good enough. Pongo is not overly demonstrative like his adopted siblings but he loves deeply and consciously. He is someone to depend on and look to for comfort. His brain is brighter than a dog's should be and his heart is unparalleled.
My office is a healing environment and Pongo is one of the main reasons.
Jinna K. Russell, M.S., L.P.C.