The Dog Who Served as a Bodyguard

I never had a pet of my own.

Growing up these last twenty years, my parents and I were always too busy and gone so much that there’s no way we could have a pet. We would neglect it, and that’s not fair to them.

Nevertheless, a pet did come into my life when I was young. And it was the best darn pet anyone ever had that I never owned.

A Stray Dog Comes to Stay

I spent a lot of time with my grandma growing up. It was always the best parts of my Saturday mornings, spending times with her.

One day, some rowdy neighbors had moved in next door to the old abandoned house. They were loud folks, whether they were having parties or just arguing on a regular basis.

They were the kind of people who disturnbed the neighborhood but never thought they did. But the best part about them?

They owned a St. Bernard dog. And his name was Woofy.

It was a great sized dog covered in brown and white fur. He was older, but he could still move around most of the day.

But the dog didn’t like his owners.

They barely fed him or paid any attention to him. So one day, Woofy took a visit to my grandma’s front porch, sat down and made himself comfortable.

My aunt, who at the time was my grandma and grandpa’s caretaker, loved dogs. She didn’t mind Woofy spending time at the house so she fed him and gave him water.

She did so every morning. Woofy stopped by every day.

I use to play with Woofy as much as I could. I would pet him and just sit and talk with him like he was another human being.

One day, the rowdy neighbors noticed their dog hanging around my grandma’s house so much. They told my aunt if she was going to take care of the dog anyway, then she might as well just keep it.

So they did.

Woofy was a great dog. He knew all of our family who visited all of the time. He never barked or grew angry. Much of that was because of his older age, but altogether, he was just a calm dog.

But then my grandpa passed away.

The Dog Plays Bodyguard

I was ten years old at the time.

I didn’t really understand death then, but I knew it was serious. As the family were making arrangements for the funeral, I stayed back at my grandma’s house with other relatives.

With my aunt away helping with family, I made sure Woofy was fed. I gave him water. I did just like I did before; I sat and talked with him.

I told him I didn’t really understand what was happening, but that everything was going to be okay.

In the days after my grandpa’s passing, countless people kept coming to the house to bring over dishes and send their condolences. But not without a fight.

As Woofy had known all of the family already, he also recognized everyone that wasn’t family. When they came to the door, he stood up with all of his might and barked at them.

Not so much a killer dog bark, but a bark loud enough he used in his defense. I told him it was okay, that these people were just guests, and I let them in the house.

This went on for a day or two, and so did this. Anytime sometime wasn’t coming to the front door, Woofy paced around the front yard like a body guard.

He paced back and forth, back and forth. It was like watching him work outside of a prison or something.

Anytime someone he didn’t know would arrive, he would approach them to sniff them out and bark. Only until I calmed him down and let the people in.

Woofy knew something was wrong. Everyone was sad about the passing, and he was doing what he could to protect everyone.

I later on joked he played a really good bodyguard. He didn’t let last him he didn’t know without our consent. He was more than just a pet.

He was the best damn dog ever.

He protected the house from any more danger. In his way, he was helping the situation as best as he could and making our lives a little bit better.

For that, we are forever grateful.

Woofy’s Time Had Come Too

In the few years that followed, Woofy’s health weakened. He didn’t do much but lay around all day. His body was old and brittle.

We all took care of him up until the end. He passed away peacefully in his sleep one March day on my grandma’s front porch.

His spot.

Some relatives and I buried him in the backyard and said words in his honor. But we couldn’t forget his role as bodyguard when my grandpa passed.

That was the coolest thing Woofy could do.

He didn’t have a great life before he moved into the neighborhood. But we like to think we gave him a better life shortly after.

I never owned Woofy as my own pet, but to me, he was the best pet anyone could ask for. He was a great dog, a companion.

And a bodyguard.

It’s a story close to my heart, one I never grow tired of telling.