Our beloved older dog Bella died two months ago. She was a good friend and lived a happy 15 years on earth. Fortunately, our daughter Hannah is a veterinarian. She texted while we were out of the country saying, “It’s time, Mom.” Bella’s tumor had regrown, and she was obviously in pain. Devastatingly, Bella was having trouble breathing as the tumor was blocking her nose. Poor girl.
It was painful to come home from our monthlong trip to face Bella’s absence. However, besides my husband and I missing Bella’s calm, sweet presence, there was another being to think about. Our other dog, Ramona, an adorable 5-year-old dachshund, was now an only child.
Everyone asked, 'How is Ramona doing without Bella?' I must say, Ramona is a bit of an attention-seeker. When we would pet Bella, Ramona would push our hands away. "Me! Me! Look at Me!" That’s Ramona’s personality. But we noticed that she seemed less active and was following us everywhere we went. Obviously, some dog socialization was in order.
So my husband and I started visiting our beautiful local dog park, PAWS in Buellton. We took Ramona to the small dog section, as obviously that’s where a 12-pound dog belonged. But nothing was going on. There weren’t any dogs for Ramona to cavort with, or people for us to chat with.
Finally, we figured it out. The idea at the small dog park is to come after 5 p.m. That’s when people start showing up. Lots of small dog owners are working people, so of course they come after work.
Friends, I am here to tell you that the late afternoon bunch at Paws’ small dog park is the place to be if you want to put a smile on your face. Really, both the people and the dogs are the best. The group discovered each other some months ago, and the dogs (and their people) know exactly who’s missing each day.
The folks sitting on the benches or playing with their little four-legged (or three-legged, but that’s later in this story) guys running through the well-kept grass, watch the gate looking for stragglers. Like any good and cohesive group, each dog and person have their distinct personalities. My husband and I are newcomers, but if they have us as well-pegged as they do Ramona, we have no secrets.
Handsome Alessio, who is a server at Santa Ynez Kitchen, recognized my husband and me immediately from the restaurant. He is devoted to his dogs Rex and Vinnie and gets his buddies to the park as soon as he comes home from work.
Harriet is the owner of Barnie. She refers to her adorable dog as “the Walmart greeter.” He checks out every dog entering the park and tries to get them involved. Harriet, a longtime real estate agent, is the same. Just as she knows practically everyone in the Valley from her long career selling houses, her dog knows every dog in the park and tries to make each one welcome.
Lenne is mistress to the prancing poodle, Ronnie. She told me the touching story of how after her previous dog died, she thought she needed longer to grieve, but the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society had other plans. They called her when 3-year-old Ronnie arrived, and the rest is history. Lenne and Ronnie are a match made in heaven.
Stormie, director of group sales at the Corque Hotel in Solvang, is devoted to her chiweenie, a chihuahua-dachshund mix called Mr. Pepper. I didn’t have to guess how this fellow got his name, because Stormie was holding a can of her favorite soft drink: Dr. Pepper.
Dave owns Bonnie and Buddy, chihuahua and Lhasa apso rescue mixes.
Ten-year-old Capree (a human girl) brought along her dad, Daniele, who owns Trattoria Garapolo, as well as her adorable dog Hero. Hero, a typical Jack Russell, is most comfortable jumping straight up like a rocket ship.
My personal hero was Ned, the aforementioned three-legged dog owned by Mary. He’s been three-legged since he was a young pup, and obviously sees no reason that three legs should slow him down. He chased every other dog around the park until all were thoroughly exhausted — just the way owners like them.
Missing that day was Luis, who all agreed is the cement that holds the group together. Luis is a physician’s assistant for the Santa Ynez Tribal Health Clinic and is here on temporary assignment. He will be missed by all when he returns to the Bay area later this summer.
Luis has two dogs, Krystal and Sandy, who move together like synchronized swimmers. Both Luis and his dogs are beloved by the small dog group. He’ll sometimes consult, after hours, on the dog owners' aches and pains. He's a good friend to have.
So here we are, a group of folks from age 10 to those in our seventh and perhaps eighth decade of life. We come from all corners of the Valley, some retired, others working long hours. But, we all leave PAWS with smiles on our faces put there by these wonderful dogs. We may have met in the “small dog” park, but there could not have been bigger personalities.