We adopted Molly in November 2005, and her life was one long interesting adventure. The foster home was overcrowded; it was obviously a rescue trying to save as many pets as possible, but out of space. Molly greeted us at the door and sat next to me as I signed her adoption papers, her little paw on my arm. She jumped into our car and sat in my lap, never looking back! The overcrowding at the foster home had a drastic effect on Molly. She was possessive about toys and treats, digging pretend holes and “hiding” them only to dig them up and move them to better locations. It was entertaining but sad to see her trying to stake a claim. She eventually outgrew this behavior, but remained vigilant about guarding her food and sleeping space the rest of her life. Molly was a small dog, border collie and some sort of terrier mix. She weighed about 30 pounds, but had a big attitude. We were her people and it was her house and yard! She took her time to warm up to people, but once she did they were friends for life. She particularly loved a neighbor of ours. He was an older widower who took long walks through the neighborhood and always brought our dogs treats. She quickly figured out where this man lived and always stopped during our walks to see if he was outside. This continued even after he had passed away.
Molly kept us on a strict schedule; feeding, walks and bedtime were controlled by her internal clock. She learned that when I used the computer in the evening, the internet server wished us “goodnight”. She would immediately jump up and head upstairs to her spot on the end of our bed. Once we realized what she was doing, we were completely amazed by her behavior! There was no denying how smart she was. She understood numerous words, and even learned what we spelled out. It was as Molly’s self appointed job to keep track of everyone; my husband and me, our adult children, grandchildren, our other dogs, and even the neighbors! She was always on alert, even if she appeared to be asleep. Molly continued to learn new things even as an older dog. When she was 8 we adopted a new puppy. Copper wanted everyone to play and never gave up trying to convince Molly. She had never been very playful, a skill she missed out on learning due to her rough start in life. Copper would play bow and run in circles only to be growled at until one day Molly jumped up and ran after him. Soon they were running in circles and jumping on each other! Copper finally made her understand how much fun she had been missing.
One thing Molly always enjoyed was traveling. She loved going for car rides and would happily jump into the car or my husband’s truck and take her spot as copilot on the front seat. She went back and forth from Pennsylvania to Vermont several times on visits to one of our daughters. She also visited another daughter at college, where she enjoyed exploring the campus. In later years she went with us on getaways in our camper. She always knew instinctively when we were repairing for a trip, running around and barking until we got ready to leave.
She was brave and boisterous everywhere except at the veterinarian's office. There she would cower behind my legs or under one of the benches, no matter which doctor was on duty. The vets loved Molly, but the feeling clearly was not mutual.
As she neared 14 years of age, she began to have some issues; seizures and accidents. We knew her days were limited. In September of 2018 she made her last trek in our camper and two weeks later her last visit to the vet. She did not hide this time. She seemed to understand that they were helping her, and with love and forgiveness licked their hands. Her life was an adventure, and we miss her every day.
BARTO, PA
