The Hardest Working Dog in Philadelphia

In the early days of 2020 I found myself in a bit of a financial pickle. I had just blown hundreds of dollars on a Christmas vacation to Florida with the family and was struggling to keep up with the bills that kept piling up. Though my position as a team lead for a renowned coffee shop paid well, it was hardly enough to keep me afloat. As I racked my brain on how to find additional support I thought back on the dog sitter we had hired to care for our pups as we left the state. With no one we knew able to watch our rat terrier and miniature dachshund over the holiday, we hastily searched for a dog walker to come to our rescue!

Searching through highly recommended walkers on Rover, I discovered a wonderful young woman named Jasmine. So while my family and I met and dined with the beloved Aladdin character in Magic Kingdom, our dogs were spoiled by a true princess! She provided me with daily updates, kept me informed of any issues, and most importantly treated our dogs like they were her own. I was overjoyed at the work she had done and found myself inspired to find work where I may do the same for others.

Not a week after we returned to Philly, I found myself a job as a dog walker for an incredible small company situated in the heart of the city. The owner accompanied me on my first night on the job to introduce me to a very special four-legged fella. In a lavish apartment overlooking Rittenhouse Park, an elderly retired couple were the proud owners of an even prouder black labradoodle. His hair was unkempt like a rockstar, shielding his brown puppy dog eyes with a rough exterior. He was thrilled to see the owner, someone he had known his whole life, but was very skeptical of me. Though he was rather shy for our first few walks, little did either of us know that this was the beginning of a beautiful, sometimes rocky, but consistently supportive, two-year-long friendship.

For a short while I was juggling being a barista by day and walking dogs in more affluent areas of the city by night. As I had taken on this new responsibility in January of 2020, needless to say, there were some unexpected challenges ahead. Come March, the world had shut down, my cafe was permanently closed, and I found myself yet again in a precarious financial situation. Luckily, as most of the time spent with my furry coworkers would be outside, I found myself returning to work quicker than most! Plato still needed his walks and I was itching to return to work!

Throughout the pandemic, while the world was stuck in isolation, I knew my buddy Plato would be waiting for me every night of the week. During the warmer months my nighttime buddy would become my sunset buddy as we walked to the Delaware river and enjoyed the gorgeous glow of twilight behind the city skyline. Like all friends, though, we would of course have our disagreements from time to time. For example, I would find myself a bit impatient whenever he would attempt to sneakily gobble up a mound of another dog’s droppings and, likewise, he would be annoyed at me whenever I wouldn’t allow it. Not to mention that rainy days required he don a (rather fashionable) raincoat that he perceived as a torturous straightjacket. His parents, myself and the average passerby would agree that he looked mighty sharp in the reflective, bright red, hooded coat but he would reject every compliment, turn away, and mope.

It was this past year, when he had grown to the ripe old age of 12, when his health was starting to slowly deteriorate. He was subject to more than a few minor surgeries and would often move a bit slower than usual. This sort of behavior was a bit infrequent though as he would always find it in him to bounce back! He and I shared another summer together and, with it, dozens of gorgeous sunsets. Alas, one of these would prove to be the last sunset we would ever share together.

September 1st 2021 was the last time that I would ever walk Plato. It was a rainy evening so he was unfortunately draped in his least favorite stylish raincoat. The sun had begun to sink quicker and quicker at this time of year so that, coupled with the rainclouds, made it impossible to enjoy the sunset. Instead we had a brisk, uneventful stroll through the city and before I knew it we were back home. The last I saw of him he was being gently toweled down by his mother as he stole glances of me disappearing in the elevator.

The following week, on September 8th, I had received a text message letting me know that Plato had passed away early that morning. In the instant between checking my phone and returning my attention to the walk I was currently on, the entire world had changed around me. My thoughts went to his owners, certainly devastated by his passing, and my manager, who had known him his whole life. My grief was miniscule in comparison but painful nonetheless. It was not until I made a comforting realization that I understood this was not a tragedy but a celebration.

Plato had loved and cared for his retired parents for more than a decade. As a token of appreciation for being accepted into the family, he worked hard to ensure his father got several walks throughout the week and his mother remained entertained by his wizened yet somehow infantile demeanor. Over the years Plato had to work on training dozens of separate dog-walkers on just how exactly he liked his walks. I consider myself lucky to be trained by such a prolific pupper. As Labor Day 2021 came around, Plato reflected on all the work he had accomplished in life. And he was proud. Proud enough, he thought, to finally retire himself.

So, instead of sinking into sorrow, I rejoiced knowing that he allowed himself one more holiday to celebrate his hard work. Once the sun had set and Labor Day had passed, so too had the hardest working dog in Philadelphia.