The Dog and Duck

Blimey, Lame Duck Day is a bit of a toughie, giving support and recognition to those who are on their way out. I don’t follow any sport (I know, I know) so I have no idea if there are any footballers or whatnot that are making way for new blood, and I really don’t want to talk about politics because I can’t commit to responding to dozens of disagreements and/or death threats. So it looks like I have to resort to my usual method: inspiration, thy name is Google.

Those of you who know me or read this blog regularly, or indeed both, will realise that I’m fond of quirky and seemingly-random-but-actually-relevant news. With this in mind, I’d like to offer my recognition to Kobe the therapy dog, now retiring after ten years of proud service.

According to this ABC News article, Kobe is a Golden Retriever that has been loved by a group of autistic children in Pennsylvania for the last decade. During this time he’s done everything a dog should do, bringing smiles to faces and warmth to hearts. He sounds like a really smart pooch too, as his owner says that “he never barked, never jumped, and was always there for them”. Now that he’s eleven years old (that’s about seventy-seven in dog years, so way past retirement age) and suffering from arthritis, the cute fella’s going to chew bones, watch Wheel of Fortune and relive his glory days of helping young tykes enjoy life.

Lame duck? Maybe. Amazing mutt? Most definitely! He’s even brought a smile to my face and I’ve never even met him – someone give that dog a bone.