“Dogs have always found their way to me; I never went looking,” Julie says of the many canines who have graced her life beginning in childhood. So it comes as no surprise that she has spent the last 40 years as a groomer and boarder. Her current dog, Memee, is as much partner as friend in their joint endeavor.
For many years Julie donated her time to a local shelter, grooming strays to help increase their chances of being adopted. It was during one of those visits that Julie noticed a very young puppy in a nearby kennel. The dog was tired, sick, and had a few tubes indicating she had been through a rough time. Julie was informed that the Dutch Shepherd with brown paws and large black ears had been found cowering under a car. What attracted Julie’s attention was the dog’s whimpering, which sounded a lot like she was saying “Me, me.” Julie stuck her fingers through the bars of the kennel and the pup crawled over to make contact.
By the time Julie arrived home, she knew she wanted the dog, whom she could not stop thinking about. She informed the shelter and made a subsequent visit the next day. Then another visit a week later to fill out the forms and pay the necessary fees for spaying and shots. Memee came home with Julie the week after Thanksgiving. That was six-and-a-half years ago. The once frightened and sick pup has grown into an “unusually sweet and lovable dog” weighing in at 65 pounds.
Memee not only found a safe and secure home with Julie, she found a community of dog pals and an important role to play in Julie’s business. Julie boards dogs year-round, usually four at any given time. Memee plays hostess, greeting regulars like Roxi, the German Shepherd, with a kiss or showing new dogs around and consoling fearful canines. “Memee loves having dogs come and go.” She has never met a dog she couldn’t abide, including the 20-pound Fox Terrier who likes to nip at her heels for fun.
Life with dogs has been very satisfying for Julie. There was a time in her career when she doubted her choice. What was a woman with a master’s degree in English literature doing cleaning up dog droppings? The death of her beloved Saint Bernard/Australian Shepherd, Lucy, prompted Julie to write a book about living with dogs. As the book took form, she realized that just as education had opened her mind, dogs had freed her spirit. They made her laugh, ushered many good friends into her life, and gave her purpose.
If Memee could speak, she might say the same about Julie.
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| Memee (2nd left) on the job |
by Elizabeth Sundstrom
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