Kim Shorts: Ode to Joplin

It was Joplin’s big, brown, soul-filling eyes that pulled me in.

She sat straight up in the small brick cubicle behind a cage door at the Kitchener-Waterloo (K-W) Humane Society. Her countenance was strong and proud, not quite shaking but nervously on the verge. As I looked at her, she did the same. Then I moved to the next cubicle to check out another dog. Three times during the visit on that fateful day, I went back to Joplin.

She was an Australian mixed mutt with no background, no history. She was found along the K-W 401 highway and had been at the pound for a several months. The Society guessed that she had been abandoned. They also guessed that she was three or four years old based on the age of her teeth. Another odd thing, they said, was that she didn’t bark. Well not yet …

It was 2008 and as a family with two children, we had decided to get our first dog. Joplin had already decided that I was a good fit on that first visit. When my husband, Jim David, joined me on the next visit to the dog pound, Joplin decided that, yes indeed, we would do just fine.

Along with others who were walking prospective dogs outside the pound building, Jim and I walked her on leash. Joplin seemed comfortable with us. Knowing she was well-behaved by the dog pound folks, she would listen and obey our simple verbal commands like “sit” or “stay.”

As we were discussing what type of training she, and we, would need, a couple walking an enormous German Shepherd, came up to us and offered us some tips. They were experienced dog owners and had watched us with Joplin. The man told us something remarkable since he watched how the dog was reacting to us. He told us that Joplin appeared to be very well-trained and showed us by simply using hand signals her. She obeyed his silent commands immediately. We were astonished at this. Joplin happily responded to our basic hand signals.

Later that week, we returned with the children so Joplin could meet us as a family. The Society requires that the entire family meets the dog to ensure there’s a good fit.

Our children sealed the deal with “Joppy” as they called her!

My guess is that it took Joplin a full two years before she felt like she was truly part of our family. That’s when we heard her bark for the very first time.

One day, the doorbell sounded and Joplin let us know rather deafeningly that there was someone at the door. We were astounded at this new sound. Anyone who lives near us can attest this girl had a loud bark!

Sadly, earlier this summer, we said goodbye to our beloved dog. She was going on 21 years and her time on this plane was at an end.

After 17 years together, our hearts are filled with wonderful and silly memories of Joplin.

Jim and Joplin made quite the pair.

Those of you who are dog walkers in Kincardine likely know Jim and Joplin or had seen him walking Joplin faithfully once or twice a day during the past seven years we have lived here. Jim would take her for her early morning walk and then once again in the evening. Rain or shine. Summer or winter. And they’d be gone for at least an hour.

I have a feeling that Jim knows the names of all the dogs who get walked in Kincardine. The dog owners’ names perhaps not so much.

Even in the house, I could never tell if Jim was talking to me or the dog. Turns out it was usually Joplin.

When we came to Kincardine, one of the first rituals was to take Joplin to Station Beach. We had no idea how she would react. We were enchanted when Joplin, upon seeing the waves, dashed in immediately, snapping at them. She transformed into a frolicking delight in the water.

These Australian-type dogs have their noses to the ground 24-7. Forget the doggie Internet. The squirrels seem to get her riled up pretty quick. I didn’t walk Joplin as much as Jim since she was pretty strong for me to handle. On more than one occasion, Joplin has dragged me across the road when she spotted a squirrel. Why I did not let go of the leash I’ll never know!

In fact, we had several squirrels that would run back and forth along the high wooden fence in our backyard just to tease her. A few times, Joplin would be sitting next to us on the back patio; she would hear, and then see, the despised black squirrel and take off like a woofing rocket after said squirrel as it ran down the top fence line. Joplin inevitably would barrel into the corner garden taking mayhem with her as she sometimes thumped into the fence corner.

I can confirm these tease-loving squirrels had a relationship with our dog as we no longer see them since Joplin’s departure. All we have now is a blue silence.

Then there was the peculiar relationship between Tigger, our rescue cat, and Joplin. Tigger came to us about three years ago. He basically ignored Joplin in the first two years but weirdly in the past year, Joplin started wanting to play with Tigger. The cat would put up with Joplin who wanted to nuzzle and play – up to a point. Then he would start gently batting at Joppy to let her know enough was enough. We would also often find Tigger sleeping next to Joplin – this too was a new occurrence.

As Joplin’s legs gave out over the past year, we had to reduce the walks, eventually down to none. In Joppy’s last months, we had to help her up and down the stairs. Our now-grown children came to say their goodbyes this summer. We knew when she stopped eating that it was time to make that hard decision. The local vet team was wonderful, coming to the house and helping Joplin leave this world with that proud dignity we so admired about her.

I’ll never forget Jim and Joplin sitting outside, side-by-side in the backyard as they waited for their time together to come to an end.

Having pets takes love and patience. But the benefits are many. Research has shown that pets help you feel better in many ways. Owning a dog can reduce stress, ease depression and anxiety, and also lower blood pressure, and combat loneliness. And it’s not just your mental health that benefits, walking a dog can improve your physical health.

Postscript: In a strange turn of events, Tigger now sleeps under the dinning room window which had once been Joplin’s favourite spot, and has started eating his meals in the same spot that was reserved for Joplin.