Have you ever had a dream so vivid, so real, that it lingered with you all day, pulling at your heartstrings and making you smile even when you didn't know why? Well, that happened to me last night and it brought back a flood of memories about a very special boy named Rusty. He was more than just a dog; he was my heart dog, my buddy, my shadow and even now, years after he crossed the rainbow bridge, he still finds ways to visit me.
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| Prince Rusty Ladd Fitzgerald |
It started in an old amusement park, the kind with creaky rides and a certain nostalgic charm. I was just wandering, taking it all in, when suddenly, I felt a familiar bump on my leg. That cold, wet nose, that gentle nudge—there was no mistaking it. Rusty! He came barreling up from behind me and my heart absolutely soared. It was just like old times, that immediate connection, that pure joy.
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| Terry loving on Rusty |
Thinking back to when Terry and I first met, pets weren't really on his radar. But I've always been a dog person, and for one of my birthdays, we went to the pound. I remember falling head over heels for this adorable little chow/lab mix. We were so excited, ready to bring him home, but then, the universe had other plans. Our apartment manager, without a single word to any of the residents, suddenly decided pets were a no-go. Can you imagine? I was absolutely crushed. But you know what? That disappointment turned into determination. I got us out of that lease faster than you can say "woof," and we found a much more pet-friendly, and frankly, a lot cleaner, place.
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| Terry giving baby Rusty a bit of love and a good brushing |
Terry knew how much a dog would mean to me, even if he wasn't entirely convinced he needed one himself at the time. So, one day, I saw an ad in the paper for Scottish Terrier puppies. Not too far away, either! My amazing friend Melanie drove us over to this guy's house – Craig was his name. He had three little boy puppies. One was a handsome grey brindle, another a striking copper-colored brindle and then there was the solid black one with just a tiny dab of white on his chin. The brindle boys were feisty, all wiggles and snaps, but when I picked up that black boy, he just melted into my arms and gave me the sweetest, sloppiest kisses. I was instantly, hopelessly in love. When I put him down, the other two were still wrestling and snapping at Terry's legs, and without a moment's hesitation, that little black fella ran right up and broke up the ruckus, fighting them off like a tiny, furry superhero. It was like he knew, right then and there, that he'd found his forever daddies. Terry, who had been a bit hesitant, looked down and saw the black little boy standing between his legs and protecting him from his brindle brothers, knowing it was the perfect way into his heart. Terry just looked at Craig and said, "Is a check okay?" And that, my friends, was the day Rusty officially joined our family.
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| Rusty getting some love from me |
He was just eight weeks old when he came home with us, and let me tell you, he was not potty trained. So, our first stop was Petsmart, where we went a little wild. Crate, dog bed, every toy imaginable, puppy food – the whole nine yards. It was close to Christmas, so our tree was already up. Rusty wasn't really bothered by it, though sometimes you'd find him snoozing peacefully underneath. We were pretty good about catching him before he had accidents, but you know how puppies are. It was all part of the learning curve for him to understand that outside was the place for business. We got on a pretty good schedule; Terry worked days and I worked nights, so there was always someone around for our little guy, giving him some much-needed routine.
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| If I fell asleep, Rusty was there to protect me |
We even played that silly game, the one where Terry would be at one end of the living room and I'd be at the other, calling Rusty to see who he loved the most. Of course, whoever had a treat hiding in their pocket usually won that round! But truly, he loved us both fiercely and equally.
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| Our friend Nathan trying to get Rusty to do the "Scotty" pose. |
Rusty fit in every home we had. We moved a few times – from our early days in Buckhead to our two apartments in Smyrna, then North Springs and Dunwoody, and finally, our house south of the airport. He never seemed to mind wherever we landed, as long as he was with us. I never, ever took his presence for granted. If I was on my computer, he was either in my lap, or in a chair pulled right up next to mine, his head resting on my knee. I spent a lot of time playing online games and recording music back then, and if my voice wasn't quite right, I swear Rusty would give me this look, this knowing gaze, that let me know he felt it too. He really was my buddy.
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| Me cuddling baby Rusty |
Now, Rusty didn't have many bad habits, but there were a couple of quirks. He absolutely loved eating toilet paper, there were times where Terry and I would walk out the front door to go somewhere and almost immediately walk back into the house because we had forgotten something, to find Rusty making his way across the living room from the direction of the bathroom looking guilty...with a trail of toilet paper from the bathroom door leading up to the roll. And don't even get me started on the bathroom garbage. He'd dive in for q-tips! It took me a good minute to figure out why his poop was suddenly so colorful – it was the colored sticks from the q-tips! We also quickly learned to keep dirty socks and underwear far, far out of his reach. If we weren't looking, he'd snag them and go straight for the sweaty parts. I'll never forget coming home from work one day to find my favorite pair of Grinch boxers...crotchless. Poor guy had bright green and yellow poop for a couple of days after that!
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| We didn't dress him up often but when we did, he was a good sport. |
Rusty was quirky, as most Scotties are, but he wasn't your typical terrier. He was incredibly well-behaved. Going back to the potty training, he was completely housetrained within his first year with us. Any accidents after that were entirely our fault, and he was merciful enough to only do it on the kitchen or bathroom floor, where there was no carpet to ruin. He was wonderful with strangers and kids alike, always ready with a lick and a kiss, never a snap, bite or growl. Even if I playfully pretended to eat his food, putting my head down next to his bowl, he'd gently move to the side and wait patiently until I was "done" before resuming his meal. He slept in our bed every single night, a furry little shadow moving from my side to Terry's throughout the night. And oh, how he LOVED popcorn! But we always knew when one of us had given him popcornl because we'd wake up in the middle of the night to him heaving. We had mere seconds to react, or we'd be spending the rest of the night washing our comforter, all thanks to Rusty's intense intolerance to popcorn. He loved it, but it just made him throw up.
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| Rusty's "PLACE" on the back of our couch. |
After Rusty, I desperately wanted another dog, but Terry, being a bit stubborn, just wasn't ready. Then, when my mom passed away, I brought her cat, Callie, back with me. I didn't even tell Terry! Callie was a trip, a truly cantankerous kitty, but she worked her way into our hearts with her sassy charm. We had her for five months, until she, too, got sick. We discovered she had an aggressive form of cancer, and we had to make that heartbreaking decision again.
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| Rusty posing for the camera. |
So, when Rusty appeared in my dream last night, in that old amusement park and then it morphed into this crazy huge laundromat with a tanning bed and a skating rink – I mean, how wild is that?! – I was so impressed with this bizarre business, but my absolute focus remained on Rusty. He seemed so happy to see me and that happiness was definitely mutual. Then, sadly, my alarm blared at 3:35 AM, calling me to work and my precious time with Rusty was abruptly cut short. I've been thinking about that dream all day and I just had to share the story of Rusty and his sweet little visit to my dream.
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| Rusty just after his first surgery for bladder stones. |
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| Rusty loved watching TV. |
Rusty was, and always will be, my heart dog. If Rusty's story touched your heart, I'd love to hear your own memories of a beloved pet in the comments below. Every share helps keep these special bonds alive and if you feel inclined to support more stories like Rusty's, any contribution, big or small, would be deeply appreciated.
