Daisy has been with me for five days now, and in another five days, I’ll be transferring the leash, as we say, to her forever person.
Daisy is fast, just like her mom, Lexi, who I raised from an eight-week-old yellow Labrador retriever puppy to a two-year-old brood. I’ve been raising and training working dogs in Fishkill Correctional Facility since 2019. On November 9, 2022, Lexi left for placement and eventually gave birth to two litters of pups. Most of them have gone on or are on track to go on working with wounded war veterans or first responders. Thinking of the countless lives these special creatures make better, I inevitably well up with emotion and get misty-eyed.
Daisy has been with me for five days now, and in another five days, I’ll be transferring the leash, as we say, to her forever person. While she took about 48 hours to warm up to me, she let out a contented sigh just hours after her arrival when she lay down under my bed and began lightly snoring. “Just like your mommy,” I said, looking at her small frame and lustrous black coat. Every day, I thank my lucky stars for dogs like Daisy in my life. I’ve been in prison since 1999, in terrible places like Attica, where I spent my twenties. So I treasure these dogs and the pure goodness that emanates from them. Daisy is staring at me now as she sunbathes in our yard. A blue ball lies between us, and it won’t be long before she jauntily grabs that ball and brings it to me to play just like her mommy.
