The beautiful black Labrador Retriever, pictured here, was my Taurus. He gave the world seven years of unconditional love.

Taurus was the first dog love of my life. I did not really grow up with dogs. My mom has severe allergies. So, when I moved in with my boyfriend- when I was about 24- his dog, Taurus, was part of the package.

I could not understand why this guy let A DOG sleep on the bed. I could not understand a lot of things about the bond this man had with his pet. Then, one day, I was lying in bed, crying and very down and Taurus hopped up beside me and laid his head next to mine. I started to spoon him and love on him, and some of the sadness started to fade away. When I got home from work, late at night, this big lug would greet me happily- almost as if he had been worrying he would never see me again.

When I moved to Detroit, to take a job at a TV station, Taurus and my then-husband stayed behind in Wyoming. I searched high and low for a place I could afford to rent, that would allow me to have a dog. That was back in 1995, and dog-friendly rentals were harder to come by than they seem to be these days. I found a place. The decor was not great, but the neighborhood was safe, and Taurus was allowed.

My sweet boy never made it to Michigan. Back in Wyoming, while my ex-husband was at work one day, a neighbor, with whom we had never had any interaction, slithered into our yard and shot Taurus. He took Tar’s lifeless body back to some vacant land behind our neighborhood and dumped Taurus like garbage. After searching high and low, my ex-husband learned the awful truth and we were devastated. The “man” was fined $600 and went on with his life, suffering no real punishment.

This is National Black Dog Day. There is a good reason for it, as quoted here:
“According to the official National Black Dog Day website, the day was started because “too often, black dogs are overlooked because of many stigmas such as; the color black is evil (the same stigma that cats have), black dogs do not show up as well in photographs as muti-colored or light colored dogs and black dogs look scary and intimidating because you cannot see their facial expressions as easily … This special day is devoted to creating public awareness about these beautiful, shiny fur babies that offer just as much unconditional love as any other dog and deserve just as much love back. … Please adopt a black dog and show the world how much light they have inside and out!”

It is getting close to Halloween. The sickos are out. They like to hunt down black cats and dogs and do- I don’t even want to know what- with them. Please, keep your pets safe, close, and inside when you are not home.

There was not a lick of evil in Taurus. Sure, he may have eaten a cassette tape, a couple of hampsters, an entire case of cinnamon buns, and a box of Valentine’s chocolates (on my white couch)- but who hasn’t?  He made me fall in love with dogs. He made me understand the bond. Black dogs and cats are no different from the rest. It has been a long time since I last kissed those silky black ears and looked into those big brown eyes. I will never forget him. He truly changed my life and made me a better person.