Aunty Toby

 

 

Toby, with her cute facial expression

I bought a packet of rolled oats with honey and nuts from the NTUC and on the packet were the words, "Uncle Toby".

Hence, we decide to call Toby, "Aunty Toby". Toby and my next door neighbour's dog, Bobby, are often at logger heads.
When Bobby comes to the door, both dogs will try to out snarl and out bark one another. My flat is Toby's territory, but of course, Aunty Toby does not know that Bobby might be feeling that she is trespassing. Why? Bobby has been a regular visitor to my home. Each time, after his walk, he would run to the gate of my apartment first before he heads for his owner's home. "Usually male dogs don't take kindly to each other", I said to Bobby's owner, Irin.

"Ay, I thought Toby is a female dog?" queried Irin.

"Yes, yes, you're right. I always forget as Toby is a masculine name."

My neighbour, Helen, who lives two units away from me, always says that Toby is a good guard dog for Toby will always bark at her each time she passes by. However, beneath all that fierce bark, Toby is a toothless terror! She is actually very timid.! My tenant, Jasmin, once told me that Toby jumped up when I sneezed! I was not even sneezing next to her in the living room. I was in my bedroom! Sometimes when we watch horror or exciting movies, I would scream and Toby will jump up. Whenever it rains heavily or when there is thunder and lightning, Toby would try to wake me up for she wants the comfort and security of sleeping next to me. I would have no choice and would pick her up and she would sleep contentedly on my bed till morning.

Toby is defintely not 100 per cent a pure pug. Her face and body is not as wrinkled and because of this, she is not as smelly, for the massive folds in pugs cause bad body odour. Morever, the faces of pugs are usually quite big; but in Toby's case, her body is bigger than her face. Hence the whole combination makes her really cute and adorable. Whenever I take her for walks, people would stop and pat her and some would just smile at her cuteness.

Toby will be leaving for Dubai around 7th of October. I worry about how she would be able to cope with the flight, as she is such a timid dog. Recently I watched the movie, "Quill" and learnt that Quill's owner gave her a tranquilizer jab so that she would sleep throughout the 6 hour train journey. Hence, I will be writing to Toby's owner and request that Toby be given a tranquilizer jab so that she could sleep throughout the flight and not get stressed or frightened.

I am glad that Toby will be reunited with Gayatri and family soon. "She's family", Gayatri proudly declared. I love dog owners like Gayatri, who would not spare any cash or effort to continue with their love and responsibility for their pet. I would have loved to adopt Toby, but Toby's and Gayatri's interest must come first. In the meanwhile, I thank God everyday for the opportunity and joy of having looked after Toby for almost 3 months.

Aunty Toby, I am going to make a deer cutlet out of you for you are such a dear!