Ark Valley News - Out of the office

Out of the office
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: December 01, 2016

On the rebound too soon

We received some interesting reaction to the news of our family pet's death last week.

Several people said they were sorry for our loss. Some said they could relate to what our family was going through.

We even got a sympathy card from the Valley Center Animal League. That was nice.

We made a mistake in our grief, however.

My wife and the kids went and picked out a new dog, just two days after Shorty was put to sleep. I knew they were going to the Humane Society in Newton to look at a dog my wife saw online. I was surprised, however, when she called and asked if I could look at it and perhaps adopt it.

I was thinking that was too soon, but I didn't want to stand in the way of the rest of the family. We all deal with grief a little differently.

Well, I went up to Newton to see the dog. The kids loved the little white Maltese, of course. It looked like a pound puppy. The Humane Society had the little dog's hair all cut off because it was caked with mud. Even its tail was shaved nearly bald, except for a fluff of white at the tip.

The poor dog had an underbite that made him look even more pathetic and adorable. He definitely needed a home.

We walked him around the yard at the Humane Society. He was full of energy and seemed to enjoy being around us. My wife had to return to work, so the kids and I spent a few more minutes with the dog before deciding to fill out the adoption paperwork and take him home.

All seemed fine for a few hours as the kids led the dog around the house and the yard to get him used to his new surroundings. They did it just like they were instructed.

Later that night, I returned from work and was greeted at the door by the dog in full defense mode. He was barking and snipping at my pant legs. I sat on the floor and let him get used to me.

He warmed up for a while, but the cycle repeated itself every time I returned to the room. He didn't like grown men, it appeared. He treated my oldest son the same way.

The straw that broke the camel's back came on Saturday morning as I left my bedroom. The dog was in the family room playing with my daughter when he saw me. He ran toward me with teeth showing. I backed up and put a chair between us. I didn't want to get bitten. He ran around the small wooden chair and attacked my foot.

I retreated to the bedroom.

I spoke to my wife about the incident and then left the house to work on some lights downtown.

When I returned that afternoon, the dog was gone. I knew what happened. I asked Lisa how the kids took it. They understood, she said. They knew it wasn't a good fit, and returning the dog to the Humane Society was the only option.

We decided to look for a new pet after the holidays. Nothing can take Shorty's place, but we want a dog that will love everyone in the family — even me.

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Speaking of love, football coaches in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League II gave the Hornets a lot of it this year. A total of 13 student-athletes were given all-league postseason honors in 14 positions.

They deserved the recognition, of course, and I can think of a couple of players who could have made the list but didn't.

Scott Vang, Goddard's head coach, won coach of the year for obvious reasons. He led the Lions to the 5A state title game.

One could make a strong case for Caleb Smith because of what he did for the Hornets this year, turning a 4-5 team into a state contender and finishing with just one loss in the league.

It was a good run for the Hornets and the postseason recognition reflects that.

Chris Strunk is publisher of The Ark Valley News. Reach him at 755-0821, news@arkvalleynews.com or on Facebook.