I Don’t Need a Dog

It was a very difficult time. My good friend’s dog was critically ill at the same time my own beloved golden retriever was in the last stages of his life.

My friend and I had many discussions about this very heartbreaking chapter in dog ownership and how to stay strong. And then one day, being particularly tired and emotional, she said to me “I can’t do this again…I’ll never have another dog, it’s just too hard.”


While I shared her sadness and felt just as exhausted by all night care giving, her comment made me smile. And this is why: my very compassionate friend is an absolute dog lover. Loving dogs is so much a part of who she is.

One of my favorite photos captures her grinning with three squirming dogs on her lap. She’s donated artwork and money to rescue groups, rescued more dogs than anyone can count, and cared for so many stray dogs in her life, that no one would believe the numbers, or the efforts she’s gone to save dogs.


Anyway, that’s why her comment made me smile.


So in my exhausted state, I wrote a rebuttal of sorts, a poem, which follows.


To Elvis’s mom and the world’s best dog owner




You don’t need a dogto bring you love every day
to keep you here, in the now, present, today

You don’t need a dog
to look at the world through your heart
to excitedly greet you when you’ve been apart

You don’t need a dog
always ready to walk at your pace
to nudge you when you’re blue and then burp in your fac

You don’t need a dog
to selectively hear your voice calling
and then come on a dime
at the sound of food falling


You don’t need a dog
to follow you room to room and get in your wayto make you drop what you’re doing
when HE wants to play


You don’t need a dog
with a soft furry head and ragged plush toy
to run through the meadows – a picture of joy


You don’t need a dog to ride in your car or kayak
to retrieve a stick, he may, or may not,
ever bring back

You don’t need a dog
to tear at your heart when he’s gone
to make you question your life and how you’ll go on


You don’t need a dog
(I doubt that that’s true)
but one thing’s for certain
I do.

My handsome golden lives in my heart now, ever faithful and near when I need him. Our lines of communication have changed, but he’s still with me.

And when customers comment on the dog decor in our shop, I smile and tell them that we all need reminders to "live in the moment".
You might not need a dog, but I do.




About us: Black Bear Rustic Decor is based in the Sierras in the historic mill town of Graeagle (pronounced “Gray Eagle”) about an hour north of Lake Tahoe. Our shop specializes in cabin accessories, cabin decor and unique one-of-a-kind furnishings handcrafted by local artists. The beauty and timeless appeal of Graeagle, which looks much like it did back in the 1850’s, is inspiration for our rustic furnishings. We love helping people, who love the great outdoors as much as we do, to capture its rustic beauty within their homes.