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Showing posts from May, 2024

Grey Whiskers and Fur

 Most of my friends know (or know of) Willis Tonkin. Willis is 10 lbs of spunk, spite, love, and perpetual playtime all rolled up in the body of a Jack Russell Terrier. If there is such a thing as an animal soulmate, Wills Abner Stoltsfus Tonkin most certainly is mine. The Amish middle name is courtesy of my wife Missy, who theorized that Willis may have come from the humble beginnings of a Pennsylvania Dutch puppy farm. Willis came to us almost 7 years ago courtesy of my brother-in-law, a rental-property owner and self-proclaimed “dog broker.” Upon checking one of his properties where tenants had “skipped town,” he found Willis as a tiny puppy, locked in a bathroom, with no food or water. It was unclear if the owners had intended to come back for him. I didn’t know any of these points before arriving home that day, other than my wife’s promise that “a surprise” was waiting for me, but that we “didn’t have to do it.” I opened the door to find Willis’ buggy dark eyes staring at mine