Reggie-The Black Lab

[pappy19]

Great Dog Story and
Well Worth the Reading ! !

They told me the big black Lab's name was Reggie,
as I looked at him lying in his pen.
The shelter was clean, no-kill,
and the people really friendly.

I'd only been in the area for six months, but
everywhere I went in the small college town, people
we're welcoming and open. Everyone waves
when you pass them on the street.
But something was still missing as I attempted to settle
in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt.
Give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen
Reggie's advertisement on the local news. The shelter
said they had received numerous calls right after,
but they said the people who had come down
to see him just didn't look like "Lab people,"
whatever that meant. They must've thought I did.

But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me
in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted
of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were
brand new tennis balls, his dishes and
a sealed letter from his previous owner.

See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home.
We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter
told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it
was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too.
Maybe we were too much alike.

I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten
about that. "Okay, Reggie," I said out loud, "let's see
if your previous owner has any advice."
_____________________

To Whomever Gets My Dog:

Well, I can't say that I'm happy you're reading this,
a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by
Reggie's new owner. I'm not even happy writing it.
He knew something was different.

So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes
that it will help you bond with him and he with you.
First, he loves tennis balls. The more the merrier.
Sometimes I think he's part squirrel, the way he hoards them.
He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get
a third in there. Hasn't done it yet. Doesn't matter where
you throw them, he'll bound after them, so be careful.
Don't do it by any roads.

Next, commands. Reggie knows the
obvious ones ---"sit," "stay," "come," "heel."
He knows hand signals, too: He knows "ball"
and "food" and "bone" and "treat" like nobody's business.
Feeding schedule: twice a day, regular
store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.
He's up on his shots. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet.
Good luck getting him in the car. I don't know how he
knows when it's time to go to the vet, but he knows.
Finally, give him some time. It's only been Reggie and
me for his whole life. He's gone everywhere with me,
so please include him on your daily car rides if you can.
He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn't bark
or complain. He just loves to be around people,
and me most especially.

And that's why I need to share one more bit of info with you...
His name's not Reggie. He's a smart dog, he'll get used to it
and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt. But I just couldn't
bear to give them his real name. But if someone is reading this ...
well it means that his new owner should know his real name.
His real name is "Tank." Because, that is what I drive.
I told the shelter that they couldn't make "Reggie" available
for adoption until they received word from my company commander.
You see, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could've
left Tank with ... and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call to the shelter ...
in the "event" ... to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption.
Luckily, my CO is a dog-guy, too, and he knew where my platoon
was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you're reading this,
then he made good on his word.
Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long
as the Army has been my family. And now I hope and pray that
you make him part of your family, too, and that he will adjust
and come to love you the same way he loved me.
If I have to give up Tank to keep those terrible people from coming
to the US I am glad to have done so. He is my example of service and
of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.
All right, that's enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter
off at the shelter. Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got
that third tennis ball in his mouth.
Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and
give him an extra kiss goodnight - every night - from me.

Thank you,

Paul Mallory

_____________________

I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure,
I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him,
even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few
months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star
when he gave his life to save three buddies.
Flags had been at half-mast all summer.

I leaned forward in my chair and rested my
elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.
"Hey, Tank," I said quietly.
The dog's head whipped up, his ears
cocked and his eyes bright.
"C'mere boy."

He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor.
He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name
he hadn't heard in months. "Tank," I whispered.
His tail swished.

I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time,
his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed
as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked
his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into
his scruff and hugged him.

"It's me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me."
Tank reached up and licked my cheek.

"So whatdaya say we play some ball?"
His ears perked again.

"Yeah? Ball? You like that? Ball?"

Tank tore from my hands and disappeared into the next room.
And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.

If you can read this without getting a lump in your
throat or a tear in your eye, you just ain't right.

[Sonofman]

Thank You

[thecfarm]

I do hope this is a true story.

[drobertson]

If for nothing else, this can reminds us of several facts, there are troops that don't return home, there are pets left without a home, and caring folks that remember the fallen. A good moral story.

[Ken]

Great story.  Love labs.  Have a 2 year old golden at my feet right now.  We have a plaque in the other room that reads " a dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself".  How true.

Cheers
Ken

[Furu]

Thank you for this story.

As I read the line: "His real name is 'Tank.' Because, that is what I drive,"  I knew where the story was going.  It took me 5 minutes before I could finish reading the rest.  Dogs are indeed the best that have been offered to mankind. 

Those who have served and are now serving our country deserve the thanks everyday from everyone in this country. 

[Riggs]

I must've got something in my eyes when I read this, they're watering....Thanks for sharing.

[Sonofman]

I really, really, hate to break it to you, but the story is not true. http://www.snopes.com/glurge/reggie.asp

[Furu]

I really, really, hate to break it to you, but the story is not true. http://www.snopes.com/glurge/reggie.asp

I am very sorry that you missed the whole point of the story and that you did not read the snopes.com write-up very carefully.

[Sonofman]

I did read the Snoops article on it very carefully. I agree with their conclusion that even though it is not true in fact, it is true in spirit. I just wanted to let people know that the story is not factually true, while it is true in spirit. No one respects and honors our fingting men and women more than I do. I am sorry if I seemed to come off cold and harsh. My eyes were quite wet when I read this post for the first time, note the first post right after the story.

[pappy19]

Here you go-

http://www.freezonemediacenternews.com/2013/02/reggie-black-lab-true-story.html

[Sonofman]

Well, I went to your link and my antivirus warned me that this site was created on 3-4-13, and was therefor suspicious in nature. A site that is that new with a very obviously fake picture of a lab with 3 tennis balls in his mouth is not going to convince me. If you read the snopes article you will see that none of the organizations that track servicemen's deaths in the sandbox list a Paul Mallory. The website that tracks Silver Star receipents does not list him either. I have to believe the facts are that the story is a literal urban legend. The figerative truth or spiritual truth is quite real in how much our servicemen sacrifice to serve and keep us free is incredible.

I have a fellow worker that is on his fourth deployment to the sandbox right now, he is in Afghanistan, so I know a little what they face. Believe what you want, I will go with the facts. I also do not watch the Soaps on daytime TV.

[pappy19]

After doing some research on my own also, I agree 100%, this is not a true story, but.....it was a good story anyway.

Pap

[WmFritz]

I liked the story. It matters little to me whether the story is real or not.

What's important to me is, the story reminds me that young Americans are dying and being injured overseas. It drives me crazy to watch the news channels and you wouldn't even know we're in a conflict.