Bloggerlife.blog

09/26/2025

Today’s blog

Lynn Murphy Mark

A new member of the family

Yesterday was a banner day for a dog named Byrd. He is now in his forever home with Ted and Sarah. He may be a little confounded because he has to wear a cone due to having been neutered. He may also be an anxious puppy with all the changes he has recently been through. Here’s his story.

Last week Ted was at his martial arts gym where he learns the finer points of Muay Thai. The gym was a hive of activity, with people kicking and jumping and presumably uttering grunts. At some point, a dog wandered into the gym and sat there quietly, watching all the activity. As soon as people noticed him,  the martial arts stopped and they gathered around. The gym’s owner has a dog, so she brought out a bowl of water and some kibbles. Dog was thirsty, but left the food alone. They noticed that Dog’s feet pads were burned and sore from the hot sidewalks of Los Angeles. He was also very thin, as if maybe he had been on the streets for a while.

There was conversation about what to do with the little guy, who still did not seem to shy away from people. He wasn’t wearing a collar with a tag. The talk turned to who could take him home for the night and then get him to a dog facility where someone who owned him might look for him. Dog immediately chose Ted as that person and from then on out did not leave Ted’s side.

Ted was scheduled to teach that afternoon and rather than leave Dog at home alone, he took him to class and office hours with him. Dog was quite friendly with the students, most of whom declared that Ted had to keep him. By this time, Dog was clearly attached to Ted and would whine if Ted left the room. Ted took him home after class and he spent the night with them, winding up in their bed between the two of them. Determined to do the right thing in case someone was looking for Dog, he took him to a shelter. The agreement was there would be a hold on Dog for 5 days and on day 6 he would be up for adoption. Ted had first rights of adoption.

Tuesday morning arrived and no one had come to claim Dog. Ted was at the shelter bright and early and signed all the papers. Dog was to stay two more days in order to get neutered. Yesterday was the big day. Ted and Sarah had time to discuss how this would change their lives and routines, get him a crate, and a collar and leash, and food, and bowls, and some “footies” to protect his feet, and whatever else is needed to take care of an approximately 9 month old pup. They chose to name him Charlie Byrd after their favorite jazz guitarist, and will call him Byrd for short.

A new story will unfold for all three of them. Byrd needs to be housebroken and learn how to be a part of a safe family. Ted and Sarah have to make accommodations for their fur baby as he adjusts to life in a loving home.

This is all about people and animals and how to love each other. Earlier this week I had lunch with my Albuquerque friends who are volunteers that take care of injured humming birds. They spent the entire summer caring for over 100 little birds, many of whom had to be fed every 15 to 20 minutes. Because this is migration time for the little ones, they now have their house back. But just before they came to meet me for lunch, they got a call asking if they would take an injured bird who wasn’t able to migrate safely. Of course they agreed, and their little period of freedom is over for now.

I am staying with Sheila and Barrett, both of whom are dog devotees. They each have a rescue dog, so I have spent the time with Jayne and Molly. The other night Molly jumped up on the couch and got cozy with me. Sheila says she’s never done that with anyone but Sheila. Jayne and Molly are a big part of life for my friends.

I believe we are to be involved in the care of Creation in any way we can. This house where I have been for almost a week is a testament to that. Besides caring for the dogs, Barrett has created a beautiful garden of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. She works tirelessly to make the space as beautiful as possible. There is definitely the joy of loving Creation in this house!