Dog Beach

We visited Dog Beach for the first time yesterday with our two dogs, Lucky and Roxy. It is a special beach where hundreds pets are allowed to run and swim without leashes.

Lucky is pictured on the right and he is getting ready for his first ocean swim. We brought our pets to this special place because we wanted to help them get over the loss of our beloved, Lady, and this was just what all of us needed.

Lucky's first master chose to let us adopt Lucky after visiting our home about eleven years ago. He saw how happy Lucky was to be free to run in our large back yard and play with our family. We saw this same joy when we removed his leash and let him run around with hundreds of other dogs yesterday.

Before Lucky joined us, he was an outside dog living in an unfenced backyard. He could not handle the sound of thunder and tried to escape every time we opened our front door. When we would finally find him, he would cry like a baby as we tried to bring him in the house. He destroyed most of our furniture before finally settling down. We named him Lucky because we thought he was lucky we did not return him after all the damage he caused.

There was a strange calmness at this beach. My youngest son told me this must be what Heaven looks like for dogs. It is such a happy place. It is like taking your kids to Disneyland for the first time.

The biggest lesson I have learned from my dogs is that they reflect behavior. If you are nervous, they are nervous. If you are relaxed, as most of the people at dog beach are, they are relaxed. It was a little scary at first to remove the leashes from our dogs and let them run free but I stood quietly just like all the other masters and let our dogs have the time of their lives.

When it was time to leave, Lucky climbed on top of the back seat and stared out the back window as we drove off. We will be back soon. Whether it is dog Heaven or people Heaven, all of us seek to be in harmony with each other and with the Creator. I am thankful we discovered a place on this planet where people and dogs from all walks of life can be at peace with one another. Yes, I will visit dog beach often until my Master calls me to be with Him in His Kingdom, a place where everyone is in harmony just like dog beach.