Opinion

Remembering the life of Shaggy the dog

A column and obituary by Beth Sergent of The Point Pleasant Register

Point Pleasant Register photo Shaggy
Point Pleasant Register photo
Shaggy

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — A dog’s life, like that of a human’s, can take many twists and turns in our search for what, and who, we truly call home.

A friend recently told me dogs should live as long as parrots. Still, another friend remarked dogs have such short lives because the loss of them would be too much to bear if they lived as long as their human companions.

My dog Shaggy recently died, but she was not just my dog. For awhile, she belonged to a community — the community of Pomeroy, Ohio.

In the early to mid-2000’s, people noticed her wandering village streets, searching for food, searching for a safe place to sleep, her head down, eyes never making contact as she apologetically persevered. Those in Meigs County know the rest of the story. They know how those working at the Meigs County Courthouse and in downtown businesses took Shaggy in, fed her, showed her kindness, gave her companionship and she returned all in-kind.

She became a conduit for connecting people who otherwise wouldn’t have noticed each other. Noticing Shaggy in need and wanting to help, caused strangers to recognize something of themselves in others. Shaggy recognized it too, namely kindness. Kindness is often common ground for us all. She followed that trail of kindness until she found her home with me.

Last month, Shaggy died from the ailments of old age and left this earth laying on her dog bed in the same, safe spot she had slept in for years. If not for the kindness of others, it’s hard to say where Shaggy would’ve taken her last breath and if not for Shaggy’s kindness towards others, it’s easy to say something would have been missing in downtown Pomeroy and certainly in my life.

The groundhog population on Mechanic Street alone would also be at critical mass if not for Shaggy’s efforts to control it during her homeless days. Though I could go on about what a wonderful dog she was — and she was — I thought the appropriate send off in the newspaper which celebrated her off the streets would be an obituary, from a dog’s point of view.

So here it is, Shaggy’s obituary containing what, and who, she called home.

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — Shaggy, age unknown but suspected to be between 13-15 years old, of Point Pleasant, W.Va., and formerly of Pomeroy, Ohio, died Feb. 22, 2015, at her home with her human by her side…

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