When people find out I run a doggie day care center, most assume it is what I’ve done all my life. They incorrectly come to the conclusion that I have always been on the path of scooping up Collie poop and bathing squirmy Chihuahuas. What they don’t realize is that until a fateful day in my late 20s, I had a desk job, and a boring one at that. In fact, Ava’s Doggie Day Care wouldn’t be open today if it wasn’t for two misbehaving dogs, an accidental mix up, and a conversation that changed my life.
It was a sunny day, with a light wind and the occasional cloud. Tucker was tired of being cooped up in our little apartment after four long days of rain, so I grabbed him and his leash and headed towards the local dog park. Upon arriving, I let him off his leash and he took off across the field. I settled down on a park bench where I had a good view of Tucker and took in my surroundings. The sun was shining and quickly drying out the soggy ground. My black and white umbrella
…show more content…
Woof! Grrr! Growls and barks were emanating from two Golden Retrievers, who were circling each other and looking like they were seconds away from tearing each others throats out. I rolled my eyes. This wasn’t the first fight Tucker had gotten into, in fact this was the third one this month. Grabbing my useless umbrella, I ran into the field and grabbed the collar of one of the dogs, attaching the leash. I glanced over to see the other dog’s owner doing the same. “Sorry,” I mumbled and she nodded, both of us obviously embarrassed. I pulled on the leash and led Tucker away from the dog park and onto the sidewalk. We began to make our way home. “Come on buddy, we’ve talked about this. You’re gonna get us banned from the park and then you’re strictly on the leash,” I scolded, glancing down at Tucker, who was bouncing along beside me. He seemed unfazed and even seemed to grin at me, obviously proud of himself. Suddenly, I noticed