Sparrow!

Sparrow reading books at the library with her best dog friend, a Saint Bernard.

Hi.
I’m Lisa. I love theme park rides, the night sky, and lurking.

At two AM on a frozen January morning, my husband helped me (and my incredibly round belly) into our SUV, buckled our sleeping two-year-old daughter, Sarah, in the back, and headed to grandma’s house to drop her off. On the way, in-between contractions, my husband and I couldn’t help but talk about the baby who would soon join our family, maybe a boy this time? Well, our little Sarah had a better idea, and from the backseat shadows came her brightest voice, “How ‘bout a puppy?”


We should have known then that Sarah would have a special love for dogs. It took quite a few more years for her to break us down and add a puppy to our family, and when we did, Sarah transformed. Our shy, junior high daughter joined 4-H, made wonderful friends, and soon became bold enough to become the president of the club. She excelled at showing Sparrow (a female Australian Shepherd named after the pirate) in conformation, obedience, agility, and every other activity you could do with a dog.


Sparrow is now eleven years old and mostly retired from shows. After spending a lifetime being hugged by children at fairs (Sparrow loved every second) Sarah found the perfect activity for such a loving, older-but-still-adventurous dog. Sarah and Sparrow trained and achieved all the certifications needed to join “Read to a Dog.” Sarah now takes Sparrow to the library so kids having trouble reading out loud can practice by reading to a well-trained dog.


And where do you think Sarah works? Not surprising us at all, Sarah found a pet company that allows every employee to bring a pet to work everyday (many people bring their cats). On the rare occasion when Sparrow can’t go with Sarah, Sparrow mopes by the front door all day long, waiting for the girl who had waited years and years for her parents to get a puppy.

Sparrow listening to a little girl read at the library.

Sparrow asleep on my daughter’s desk at work.