There was no doubt my son and I loved Tao.  She was a quiet and sweet cat, though she was retarded.  I still longed for a dog yet I had pushed it to the back of my mind.  The city would not allow it and that was all there was too it. As a single parent I needed that low rental and not having a dog was a sacrifice that I just had to make ??“ there was just no other way.

Then a miracle happened, after the city had lost its cases with the rental board over keeping animals they first allowed cats and then gradually started allowing dogs as long as they were no trouble to the neighbours and did not destroy the premises.  I knew this but I was not really in a position to buy a dog.  I could hardly make ends meet as it was.

Then one day it happened!  I was visiting a friend who lived downstairs from us and her friend, Kenny; a contractor announced that one of his employees had a little Yorkie that he had to part with because he was moving into an apartment that would not allow animals.  The Yorkie was a constant visitor to the work site and enjoyed the men??™s company as well as their sandwich lunches.  I jumped on the opportunity and asked if I could have her.  That is how for a modest fee I became the proud owner of Tuffy the dog who captured my heart.

Tuffy was everything that Kenny said she was.  It was amazing to see her wolf down sandwiches. They really were her favourite food.  Tuffy was also very intelligent.  Her former owner was French and now she came to understand English perfectly.  Her original name was ???tite fille??? pronounced tee fee meaning little girl.  But we changed it to Tuffy to give it an English sound.

Tuffy had a very deep bark for such a tiny dog and if you heard her but did not see her you would swear that she was a big watch dog.  It made me feel safe at night because living in the city house, in the ghetto, and having been robbed twice, I really did not feel safe at all.  I felt safe with Tuffy around.   If the thief actually broke in he would not be afraid of such a little dog. But her bark from the outside of the door might be a deterrent to any would be robber and that was good enough for me.

Apart from being able to attack thieves Tuffy was everything her new name demanded.  She was little but she was as tough as they come.  This little girl would run after any dog large or small while ready to fight.  We had to watch her all the time.  Incredible though it was my little sandy coloured Yorkie never fought with black dogs. She seemed to love them.  We never did figure out why. 

You also had to watch her carefully for when she was outside she would take off running after dogs, cats, squirrels, birds, or anything in sight.  I had trained her to go out with me and when I gave her the command stay she would stay in one place and not move until I said come.  But as much as I tried I could not get her to understand that running after animals was dangerous on a busy Montreal street.  She would ignore my demand to stay and just take off each and every time.

As tough as she was with animals as gentle she was with people.  Tuffy loved everyone. 

She was quite the performer too.  On command I could get her to put on a show for friends and family.  I would sing and she would sing or better still howl along with me.  It was really funny to hear us go into a rendition of Sparkey my love ??“ a song that I had invented just for that purpose.  It had all the proper notes to get her going!

Tuffy learned commands extremely quickly. I never had a dog as smart as she.  Tao our cat was not too found of dogs at all but she did have to live with Tuffy.  Tuffy seemed to know instinctively that chasing after animals outside may be a somewhat acceptable behaviour but tolerance in the home was necessary.  She never really bothered Tao and Tao always managed to stay out of her way just in case. 

Tao did have the habit of scratching furniture.  Tao was also faster than all of us put together.  So we would send Tuffy after her when she did.  The command ???get Tao??? meant that Tuffy had permission to chase after Tao and she did with gusto.  Tao was always able to jump up on the wall unit and to safety each and every time. At least she stopped clawing the furniture!

It was during this period that I found out that I am psychic to a certain extent and I was starting to have feelings and dreams that Tuffy would die.  Even though I knew it would happen I didn??™t know how.  I told my friend Alvin several times that I was going to lose Tuffy but how and when I just did not know. 

One evening my son and his friend decided they were going to the store for some treats.  Steven was on roller skates.  I was in another room on the computer.   Steven took Tuffy with him and Tuffy ran across the street after him but didn??™t make it in time she was hit by a car and instantly killed.  Steven hadn??™t taken her leash.  He told her not to follow but all his said was - ???wait???.  He didn??™t know her command was ???stay???.  He came back very upset and explained what happened. 

I was beside myself as I went outside and picked up my poor baby from the gutter where she lay.  I brought her back into the house. Tao came over and she sat beside Tuffy until the pound came to take her away.  I knew that Tao was going to miss her little companion just by her actions on that infamous night.

On the other hand, the worker from the humane society was not so humane at all.  He took my little dog ??“ my heart and threw her into the truck with no care or compassion for the love ones that she left behind.  Even though I was crying as I tenderly gave him the dog he threw her into the truck like a discarded old shoe.  It was obvious that he was not an animal lover and equally obvious that he was not a people lover either.

Tuffy was always at my side she was the most obedient and faithful companion that anyone could ever had.  Of all the dogs I ever had past or present Tuffy was my most beloved she was my heart.

Carol Roach
winterose @ videotron.ca,

Carol Roach is a published writer and newsletter editor.  You can purchase her book: Picking Up The Pieces: A Woman's Journey at www.publishamerica.com, or www.amazon.com.  You can also go to your local bookstore and order it there as well.  If you are interested in other stories feel free to join her newsletter: Storytime Tapestry at: storytime_tapestry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, or email her directly at winterose@videtron.ca and she will be glad to accomodate you.  Carol enjoys email and responds to every inquiry.