Happy Gotcha Day, Beau!

Five years with Beau: our velcro pup, beach buddy, and best friend.

Nearly every day after work, my canine best bud Beau and I head to the beach. Living on a tiny island off another island means we’ve got plenty of shoreline options—so we like to switch it up to keep things fresh. But what never changes is how these little beach adventures end up being the highlight of both our days. Whether it’s oppressively hot and muggy (we swim) or the dead of winter with temps in the single digits (we bundle up), we go. Those big, floppy ears bounce in a way that always makes me smile as we explore the shoreline. Our shoes (and paws) get sandy. And by the time we’re back in the car heading home, we’re almost always in a better place mentally, physically, and emotionally than we were just an hour earlier. That’s been true on regular days, and essential on the hard ones.

Beach time is supposed to be his time—the biggest part of my day set aside for the pup. But the truth is, I get just as much out of it as Beau does. That tends to be the case with most “Beau tasks.” Taking care of pets is a lot of work, but the rewards that come from keeping them happy and healthy far outweigh any of the inconveniences—even for someone like me, who tends to work about 60 hours a week and rarely gets any real downtime. Beau is a big, high-energy mush who thrives on lots of together time and exercise. I can be a bit of a loner—especially when I’m stressed or going through a depressive stretch. I’m not nearly a good enough writer to explain how much his ever-present love and companionship mean to me in those moments when my instinct is to crawl into a hole and shut everyone else out.

We “rescued” Beau on May 3rd, 2020. It was a couple of months into the pandemic, and with so little we could do outside our property, it felt like the perfect time to adopt a dog. My wife was all for it. I was admittedly hesitant. I knew how much work it would be—and I knew how deeply I fall in love with dogs. The thought of him eventually heading off to “the big farm upstate” (as the old parental euphemism goes) scared me. But my wife won the argument, and I’ll be forever grateful she did. From day one, Beau’s been my ‘velcro’ dog, constantly by my side. At this point, he’s become something of a local celebrity around the neighborhood and at drive-thrus and shops where everyone lights up to see their buddy, Beau.

At the risk of sounding cheesy and cliché, he definitely rescued us just as much as we rescued him.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this: if you’re thinking about getting a furry companion—and you’re being honest with yourself about the time, energy, and care it takes—do it. Beau is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. He’s been my safety net through what have been some of the hardest years of my life. Whether it’s those beach adventures or just the way he curls up beside me at the end of a rough day, always resting a head—or at least a paw—on my leg, he reminds me that even on the worst days, I still live a pretty blessed life.

So, happy Gotcha Day, Beau. I’m thankful for you every single day.