The Road To Quentin: A Personal Story

July 31, 2017 | We Love | Story by Sandy Kenrick
The boys grab their bikes and pedal down the road as they make their way to the newest discovery on their long list of adventures. The pack consists of close friends who foster a deep and enduring relationship with each other, and with their dog. Snoopy wasn’t always part of the crew, as she was considered a street dog and many of the boys’ mothers chased her away in the fear of rabies, fleas, and ticks.

Part of the Crew. She wasn’t easily beat, as she regarded the boys of Picadilly Street members of her pack. After what seemed like months, Snoopy finally had a more permanent home in the street and the parents started accepting her as part of the crew. Snoopy’s home was anywhere in Picadilly Street and she could smell a barbecue half a mile away. The boys couldn’t wait to get home from school and have another adventure, as Snoopy made them feel safer. She was more than just a guard dog, though, as she happened to be a pretty good playmate as well.

All Grown Up. There are few relationships quite like that of a boy and his dog, and in Snoopy’s case, there were quite a few boys who called her theirs. When these boys were all grown up and their adventures started becoming forays into the world of business, Snoopy started showing her age. When the call finally came for the boys to come and pay their last respects to Snoopy, she bade them farewell with a final lift of her head. Grown men wept.

“Grown men wept.”

There’s No Replacement. Weeks and months went by. All the open yards were enclosed with fences and people started getting their own dogs. The dogs were merely just guard dogs as no one had the courage to let another dog crawl into their hearts quite like Snoopy did. Just the mention of Snoopy at a community cookout would bring a tear to most eyes, and many just shuffled uncomfortably, never quite allowing emotions to show.

Who’s Quentin? A slow Sunday afternoon, typical like many others, happened to be the day the grief of Picadilly Street would be lifted. One of the fathers in the community noticed how his son was still deeply hurt by the loss of Snoopy. He was Snoopy’s afternoon pal and getting home after work was always a fun time for the whole family. Snoopy barked and yelped her excitement as she heard his car come up the road and there would be a few games before settling down and having a meal. The father went to the shops for some last-minute errands, and on returning called the son down to the car to help him carry the packages.

The walk to the car was like any other. There was a box on the front seat, which was very strange as none of the grocers in the area used boxes. The son didn’t think anything of it and leaned in to get it. From the box came the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard, the sound of a puppy! He named the puppy Quentin after his favorite movie director, and the two became inseparable. This was not a dog that he needed to share with the neighborhood, it was his very own dog. With all the love and attention showered on Quentin from the very first day he set foot in the yard, he was known as the doggy who would rather be a small boy.

Adrian Fallace via Flikr

If you enjoyed this post, you should read What Is Marker Training? here.

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