Tango
Lisa Canady
I never had children of my own, so my pets were and are my children, my loves, and the joys of my life.
I will never forget when Jim Ellison posted the photos of Daisy’s five puppies. All the pups were darling, but there was one who stood out from the rest. I looked at my colleague and said, “There is my Tango.” I already had a female Chihuahua named Cha Cha, so it only seemed appropriate to name this precious boy Tango.
My colleague accompanied me to meet the pups. I could feel the excitement, but I think there was fear, too! Gosh, it had been over 20 years since I had a puppy, but I was so ready to grow old with a fur baby. In the recent past, I had always adopted older rescues.
Exiting the car, we could see the five precious puppies bouncing around. I sat down on the step and crossed my legs. Soon after sitting down, my Tango sat on my lap. Jim and the foster mom both said, “Well he has chosen his person, and that is you.” I knew then this was a match made in heaven.
The day I brought this 2 pound 10 ounce bundle of fur home, I was overwhelmed. There were now three dogs and just me! I was concerned about my older dog, Willie, getting along with Tango. For a few weeks, I kept them separated.
If it wasn’t for Tango, the relationship between him and Willie would not have blossomed. Tango had the attitude of, “You know you like me—so stop acting like that.” Tango was funny, extremely smart, and at times “in your face” strong willed. That strong will won over Willie’s heart. My Tango had a very tender side, also. In the evenings, he would cuddle with me and watch TCM movies. His favorite movies were with Doris Day and Gene Kelly. He would listen to the music, watch them dance, and look at me (human-like), as though to say “let’s try that trick tomorrow.”
My precious Tango was just three days shy of seven months. The five and a half months he was in my life, I will treasure forever. I am still having trouble understanding why this happened! If reading this story and learning about the “Tango Rule” saves other pets, then I can honor my sweet boy’s demise.
If I have learned anything from this horrific ordeal, it is that I have such wonderful co-workers and friends from the PebbleCreek community. It has given me such comfort in my time of need. I want to thank Jim and Marge Ellison for bringing Tango into my life. I will never forget this sweet puppy as long as I live. I was the lucky one to have been that puppy’s human mommy for five and half months.