What’s His Name?
Sometimes it’s hard to keep up but I try. The only thing that slows this guy down is crossing the path of one of his many fans. Maybe it’s his hop, his color, or the way his ears flop up and down as skips through his environment. Either way, he draws attention to himself.
I often hear “aww ¡Pobre cosa!,”
“oohh how cute,”
“look at him go,” and “cute dog,”
but it takes a minute for people to see he only has 3 legs.
When I hear “what’s his name?” I know they want to know his back story.
“Rudy,” I say, but if you hang out long enough you’ll hear “peanut,” “Scoob” or “chicken wing.”
Come on, you gotta admit he looks like a piece of extra crispy chicken.
“Did you name him after the Notre Dame football player?" I’m asked this a lot.
“No, I didn’t name him, his foster mom did.” Of course, the first time I heard this question I had to ask his foster mom. She didn’t even know who Rudy Ruettiger was.
“So how did he lose his leg?”
“Unfortunately, someone left him in a dog park with a broken leg.”
I’m still befuddled how someone could abandon a dog in a dog park with a broken leg.
I will tell you the loss of his leg sure doesn’t slow him down.
He reminds everyday me to not complain. He gets up every day eager to take a walk, he never balks or hesitates. He wants to go, to smell all the smells on our hikes and walks (a gentleman once told me it’s their version of “reading the paper"). So, I let him get his daily news.
One of his favorite hikes is the one where he can scamper after lizards that cross the trail.
He’s pure joy and I think Rudy is the perfect name for him.