This Sunday is the annual Paws Walk to support the New Hampshire SPCA. Over the years we’ve made a lot of memories attending this event, but none quite as memorable as Angel Lemmy’s first time attending in 2007. Fresh off his recent graduation from puppy kindergarten, Lemmy was very excited to attend this family tradition, and Mom and Dad were equally excited to finally have a dog to to go with them. Little did they realize Lemmy really wanted his presence to be known!
The day began as expected, with Lemmy happily making new friends, getting free swag of tennis balls and frisbees, while also buying some new collars and delicious treats in the vendors’ marketplace. The fundraiser walk also went off without a hitch, although Lemmy did recall being glad that he just enrolled Mom and Dad in the advance training class to work on their leash walking skills.
Then came the time for the disc dog demonstrations. Lemmy happily joined the crowd marveling at the acrobatic moves of the first team’s freestyle routine as the dog soared through the air to catch the frisbee. Whether it was the cheering of the audience, or the lure of the frisbee, it all became too much for Lemmy to remain on the sidelines. Before either Mom or Dad could comprehend what was happening, Lemmy broke free from Dad’s grip on the leash and went dashing out onto the field…catching the frisbee! The audience broke out in laughter and applause, the disc dog team stood there in complete surprise, and the announcer with great amusement started giving commentary as Dad chased Lemmy around the field trying to get the frisbee back! Now you have to remember, Lemmy’s favorite game was “Har! Har! I have the ball and you don’t!” Therefore, retrieving that frisbee from the rambunctious 7 month old Golden Retriever puppy was easier said than done. Torn between pretending she didn’t know them, and joining in on the pursuit, Mom was relieved when a Good Samaritan appeared with a treat, abruptly ending Lemmy’s time in the spotlight.
They left the event shortly after that, vowing never to speak of this awkward moment again. I say this because when reading through Lemmy’s old emails to his Momma Butter, nowhere did her “precious good boy” mention his display of unsportsmanlike behavior, and he told her everything! It doesn’t matter though, based on the other emails, she probably would have praised Lemmy for showing that other dog how to share, or some other such motherly nonsense. Oh and in case you’re wondering, now the demonstrations take place in a fenced in area to discourage other fame seeking dogs.
This must have really caught Mom off guard, because there are no photos from Lemmy’s time in the spotlight. However, this is photo proof of Lemmy’s attendance at the NHSPCA’s Paws Walk that year.
By the way, the following year in 2008, Lemmy also made his presence known by refusing to get out of one of the kiddie pools meant for everyone to share! Mom and Dad couldn’t help but notice they added a lot more swimming pools after that year too.
