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Doggie DiaryLet your fingers do the barkingBy Patricia Kutza
That was three months ago. Fast-forward to last weekend when, to my surprise (and relief), Rita again consented to babysit Scooter. Thanks to a great gift I received just before I left on this last trip, I only called home once.
Nestled within illustrator Amy Meyer Alen’s cuddly illustrations are sections where I recorded such vital information as Scooter’s vet contact telephone number and address, specific information about his present ailments as well as a history of past treatments that emergency medical personnel might want to know about. I also recorded my strategies for both rewarding and punishing Scooter (although by this time I suspect Rita has developed her own) and potential people/place neighborhood hazards. Since Rita may not always be available, I jotted down some basic facts too, like his eating, sleeping and grooming habits.
The other day I opened the Diary to insert some new photos of Scooter. I laughed when I found that Rita had added a photo showing her frolicking with Scooter in the park. The note accompanying her photo showed how much they had bonded in my absence “ Dear Scooter, Ask your mom if we can go away for the weekend, just the two of us. We’ll give her a valium and leave my cellphone at home.” Doggie Diary contact information:
www.doggiediary.com Images by Patricia Kutza and Hutton & Klohe Enterprises |
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When my
friend Rita answered my phone call, I thought I detected a hint of sarcasm
laced with more than a little exasperation in her voice. She yelled:
“Scooter is just fine!” I wondered why she sounded so testy. But then I
remembered that this was my fifth call in so many days to check on my
precious cargo, my dog Scooter. “Yeah”, Rita continued, “he’s had one meal
a day, easy on the onions. Scooter took his meds with his evening cookie.
All is well in the Kutza household.” 
A
business associate of mine gave me the Doggie Diary. She was banking on
this gift to do just what it was designed to do: Help allay the separation
anxieties of legion of dog owners like myself. She and I both won: She got
a traveling partner who wouldn’t drive her crazy every minute with
doggie-based angst (me) and I got to keep a good friend (Rita).
While
author Julia Hutton has created a wonderful ‘care manual’ for temporary
caretakers, there are many other uses for this product. It’s a great gift
to accompany your pet if adoption by another owner is needed. There are
ample sections for storing pet photos: Another great way to doggie-bond.