Ms. Champagne- Canis Grata

 

When your kid is less than a year old, there are just some places you can’t take them. A loud concert or fine restaurant springs to mind. 

When your kid has 4 legs, there are just some places you can’t take them. Stores. Schools. Ski lifts. Stadiums. Soccer fields. A hundred other venues spring to mind.

As a mom to a 7-month, 4-legged kid, almost everywhere I go is on the canis non grata list, which is why I’m beyond grateful for a local school that gets it right. When I take my kid to this school, we are greeted by an open gate, a Ziploc full of doggy bags, and a sign that reads: 

PLEASE BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR

CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG

Every time I walk past this sign (with a pocketful of my own doggy bags), I smile. I smile because here my kid gets to run and roam like all of the other kids. Here she can follow her instincts, chase, and be chased. I smile because here she can explore, share, listen, make friends, and care for others. 

I smile remembering how she once showed love to a 2 legged who had fallen off his swing. I smile some more thinking of how this type of encounter might help some 2 leggeds to trust 4 leggeds. 

I smile at my kid, and she smiles back at me because she’s happy here. Now. Being herself. Being with me. Being with everyone. Being a good neighbor.