I dropped Bono off at the University of Illinois this morning for physical therapy as it’s been six weeks since his second hip surgery. You can read more about the surgery/therapy here.
For those of you who know Bono, you know that he is not fond of most men. He tolerates some but most he has no use for and will bark and growl his irritation with their presence.
As we sat waiting for the therapist to whisk him away to his aquatic retreat, a young couple came in with the biggest Rottweiler I have ever seen. If her shear size did not make everyone notice her when she walked in the room, then the stuffed pink pig she carried in her mouth did.
The only empty seats in the waiting room were across from us. I thought it strange that Bono did not try to greet the rottie with his typical over excited wiggle. I figured her size, that stuffed pink pig hanging out of her mouth and the man sitting next to her threw him for enough of a loop that he could not be bothered with any of them. A few minutes went by. Dogs came and went. Bono greeted each of them as they strolled by.
The husband sat, elbows on knees, arms crossed in front as he spoke quietly to his wife. Soon Bono tried pulling his way in their direction. The wife told me it was fine for him to visit. She said their dog was kind and liked other dogs. I let go of the leash.
Instead of going to the rottie, he strolled right to the man. He nosed his way through the crossed arms. Parked himself between the man’s legs. Leaned against him with all of his weight while stretching his pointy nose to the man’s neck. Shocked was the only thing I could think of but, not wanting to make a big deal of the situation, I kept my mouth shut. I figured at any minute Bono would realize who it was and would run out of their barking and growling the whole way. Instead, the man assured me he was fine as he scratched Bono’s ears and rubbed his chest. After a few minutes of sitting, Bono melted to the floor and rolled over asking for a belly rub.
It was then that the man told me their rottie was only 5 years old and had just been diagnosed with cancer of the spleen. They had brought her to the U of I’s vet school for chemotherapy. A last ditch effort to prolong her young life. Even for just a bit. He explained that they are not ready to let her go. She is their child.
Soon the therapist arrived and Bono slowly got up and wiggled his way to her leaving the man, his ginormous rottie, her pink pig and their grief behind.
I did not think much about any of these events as they unfolded in front of me. Being shocked at Bono’s affection for a man, any man, I was also overwhelmed by this couple’s grief. I, too, have had a four legged child that I was not ready to part with.
I don’t think it was an accident that Bono went to this man. I don’t think he went too him because of his scent. Or because he was looking for someone to pet him in his moment of panic at finding himself at another vet’s office. I think we were there, waiting too long in the waiting room, so Bono could show some compassion to a man in his moment of grief at finding himself at another vet’s office.
