Simba by the dock
Simba by the dock
My Beloved Friend
My beloved friend was sitting still when I first saw him, not barking or fighting to be removed from the kennel, but quiet and regal, making contact with his intense eyes as he looked at me. At the request of a kennel worker, I had come from my office in the Education Department to see this German Shepherd with the hope that I might know someone who could take him. “It’s such a shame,” said the worker to me, “his owner just didn’t want to be bothered with him anymore. He let him wander the streets at all hours, he said that he didn’t want to buy his food anymore and that he wanted to give him up.”
“It was destiny….”
I looked at the information on the sheet beside the kennel. This dog was not only large, he was already seven years old. I knew that a lot of people who came to the shelter to adopt a pet wanted a small to middle-sized dog, and also a dog that is not too old. After years of indifferent neglect, this older dog was, heartbreakingly, unlikely to be chosen by anyone. For most of the rest of that day I thought about this dog, his polite stance and intense eyes, and by late afternoon I was putting him into my car and taking him home
Simba by the fire
Simba by the fire
Home Life
Simba was enormous compared to my two pugs but the dogs realized immediately that this gentle shepherd was not a threatening presence. My husband liked him, and we watched as Simba played with the pugs in the backyard, explored the house, met the cats and easily settled in as a part of the family.
A True Working Dog
Simba became an integral part of the Education Department. Each day he came to work and accompanied me to programs in schools. His intelligence and docile personality made him an ideal example for the children. They quickly learned that even big dogs can be gentle if you treat them right. Together we could demonstrate how to be safe around animals that you do not know. Children learned how to pet a dog in a kindly manner and even how to be his friend. Simba would lie on his back and allow children to rub his tummy. They giggled with delight when they told him to “speak” and he would bark right on cue. He would lie down, or give a paw, or walk on a leash without pulling. Sometimes a child who demonstrated a real fear of animals when I entered the classroom would be chosen to take Simba’s leash and lead him on a short walk. Such smiles and pride could be seen on the kid’s faces after accomplishing this and each child seemed to feel that Simba was their special friend. They never forgot his name
The Dog Wears What?
Year after year, Simba continued to do his job in an expert and dependable way. He knew the staff well, and was even given an identity badge with his picture on it to wear around the building as though he were also a member of the staff, which in a way, he was. He took tests and qualified as a Therapy Dog and his role expanded to comforting children at St. Christopher’s Hospital in Philadelphia, to keeping patients company while they were on a dialysis machine, and to visiting children for programs in schools for those with special needs, like Cerebral Palsy. Everywhere he went he was quickly considered a special friend and “Come back soon, Simba!” was called out to him on our departures.
Slowing Down
The life span of a German Shepherd is 10 to 14 years, and so it was that Simba eventually began to show signs of slowing down a little. He couldn’t jump into the car as easily as before and I purchased a ramp for him. Walking became a little difficult, yet each day as he watched me gather my materials for work he was up and waiting by the door to do his job in the local hospitals and schools. He worked right up until he simply could not manage the walk anymore.
Old Age and Sickness
One day at the beginning of May 2007 I noticed that something was not right with Simba. I prayed with all I had that my best friend would remain with me for years but, unfortunately, that was not to be. After ultrasounds and several other blood tests, my vet determined that Simba was suffering from kidney and liver failure. On May 26th. , 2007, I knew it was time to let my best friend go. I cried huge tears into his big black mane and thanked him for all he had given me over the years, as a work partner and a best friend. I held him close to me as he left this world.
A Cherished Life
How do you measure the worth of a life? Here was a dog that was not considered important enough to love, to feed or to nurture. He could be given up, whatever the consequences. Simba could have become mean and defiant and aggressive, fighting for attention and angry with everybody because his life was not valued. Instead, he demonstrated tolerance and patience with all, from babies to people in nursing homes, and he gave pleasure and joy to so many.
Simba’s Legacy
There are thousands of children who knew and remember Simba. When he died, cards and letters and pictures arrived from all over the region and many children wrote “I loved Simba when he came to my school and I got to pet him.” My heart has not healed from my loss of Simba but in his memory I volunteer for GS Rescue and I know he is with me in my heart everywhere I go.