Tom Pelphrey Instagram – I had to say goodbye to my guy.
I got Blue on Xmas eve, 2018. Blue had been at a rescue for over a year, and in that time had been adopted and returned at least 3x, fostered and returned at least as many. He was living in a kennel and “too aggressive” to have a home.
I knew this was my guy. Blue and I got to work Day 1…. long walks, training sessions, stability, repetition. Love. A lot of love. He was the most beautiful dog I’ve ever seen. It was slow going at first… I wasn’t sure if I would be able to have people to my apartment ever again- I didn’t care. A month after I got him the kind lady who owned the rescue called me to check on Blue. I told her
“We have work to do but he’s smart and he’s a great dog”
“So you’re keeping him?”
“Of course I am”
She broke down crying on the phone.
Blue went everywhere with me. I stopped flying for work- I drove to every job with Blue. All over the country and back. In our years together I often wondered if he even thought we had a “home”- we were constantly on to a new job and a new city. The only constant was that we were always together. ALWAYS. He was my home. And I was his.
6 months later he was friends with my friends. A year later and Blue was almost unrecognizable. He was always my sweet Blue to me… now he was just more Blue, less Fear. It’s amazing what some love and stability can accomplish. Blue was teaching me, and I didn’t really know it yet.
Two years ago I met Kaley and everything changed. We had a family! We settled into a home. And the fearsome, snarling Blue became the most gentle ‘Shepard’. He came into a family full of small dogs 1/10 of his size, and he was patient and loving with all of them. He played ball with our baby girl Matilda… he played more gently and softly with her than the most cautious parent. He saw we were settled, he saw that I had learned the lessons I thought I was teaching him…
He was by my side the entire time (literally)… protecting me and guiding me into a new, fuller life. I guess that’s what Shepards do. I held him at the end.
I’m heartbroken. I’m full of gratitude to God for every second with one of His angels. 💙🙏💙🙏💙🙏💙 | Posted on 20/Mar/2024 20:42:19
