A dog lover named Aaron Katcher once said, “A dog is like an eternal Peter Pan, a child who never grows old and who therefore is always available to love and be loved.”
Twenty years ago, I brought a dog home from the Humane Society. He was half Australian Shepherd and half everything else. He was only 12 weeks of age. He had already been given up for adoption twice. The last family that briefly owned him called him “Jack.” But I named him Bandit.
Bandit had a dark brown stripe across his eyes. He looked like a bandit, a burglar, a thief. But the only thing he would ever be guilty of stealing, was my heart. The rest of Bandit's body was mostly white with flecks of gold and brown splattered throughout.
I brought Bandit home to live with me. At first he was unsure of my intentions. He watched me closely. I think he thought that I might abandon him too.
Bandit was a fantastic family pet. He was loyal and always watchful of the babies that eventually filled my life.
Bandit was fascinated with tennis balls. He would play fetch for hours on end. He would not take his eyes off whoever was holding the ball. Once thrown, Bandit would run and retrieve the ball. He would jump and bound over any hurdles which stood in his pathway. Finally, Bandit would drop the saliva drenched ball at the feet of the person who threw it.
But the game never ended with his retrieval of the tennis ball.
Bandit had a way of begging for one more toss, simply by staring into the human's eyes. “One more time, I dare you,” he seemed to say.
No one could resist Bandit's intensity and energy. One toss would become two and then ten more. Bandit was hypnotized by the game of fetch and he had all the time in the world. His specialty was catching a ball in mid-air before it bounced. He would leap into the air and land happily with a soggy tennis ball in his mouth.
Bandit was obedient and loyal. He only wished to please and take his place in the world of beloved dogs.
I have owned other dogs who thought that they were human. Bandit never thought he was human. I have found that dogs who think that they are human often live their lives frustrated with four paws and a tail. Bandit wanted no complications. He just wanted to be a devoted dog.
Bandit lived to a very old age. Like Peter Pan, his youth and enthusiasm betrayed his years. As a senior citizen, he still would chase a ball or two.
The Bandit that I knew and loved may have aged on the outside. As his eyes grew weak and he lost his ability to hear. But on the inside, Bandit was the same dog he had always been.
For in his heart, Bandit never aged. He was eternally content to love and be loved.
