Simha is my good friend and house mate. She is the only dog I know that isn’t excited about going outside. When I ask her if she wants to go out, she will look at me as if to say, “You go ahead, I will catch you next time”. When I first brought Simha home, she had already been through a lot. I could just tell. Later when realizing she was missing a tooth, is terrified of fences and never seems to warm up after going outside I got a good idea of her past.
I believe she came from a loving Spanish home but for some reason ended up a junk yard dog. The thought of anyone being ripped out of their secure environment and thrust into an environment they are ill equipped for is devastating. But this happens continuously in the pet world.
She would just look at me when I gave her the simplest command, like I was an idiot. It wasn’t until I realized that her old name was Chica, which means girl in Spanish, that I figured out the problem. She only knew Spanish. When I gave her a command in Spanish, she got so excited to show me she all she knew. I was the one who had something to learn.
Everyone needs a job. Simha’s job is simply to Be Cozy. She does it very well. When I work with an animal who is lost or needs an emotional release, I believe Simha is tuning in and helping. She seems to need even more sleep at these times. She, like all pets, is a very special soul.