Who: Jessie and Lilo When: Late January Where: Local Park What: Dog induced random meeting Rating/Warning: Low/None Status: Complete
Jessie was sitting cross legged on the grass in a local park and reading while one of the dogs she was looking, Maddy, after ran around after a ball. She’d occassionally bring it back to be thrown but she was mostly content just throwing it around herself. It had made Jessie smile considering how malnourished and sad she had been when she’d first been brought into her practice. But with love and medical care she’d gotten a lot better.
She was just finishing a chapter when a ball landed in her lap, a ball that wasn’t Maddy’s. Looking up she found herself face to face with a different dog. “Hello there” she said smiling as she stroked the animal, “Want to play?” she said grinning before throwing the ball for the animal.
Mareeba was a good girl, and she sat down in front of the new person, tail wagging as she waited for the ball to be thrown. Lilo soon came to find her dog, grinning as she watched Mareeba interact with this new person. “I am so sorry, my aim is just sucky today.” There was another dog with Lilo, a dog as large as Lilo was tall. The St. Bernard flopped onto her back in front of the new lady, which made Lilo grin.
"Well since I got to meet these gorgeous creatures I think I can let you off" Jessie grinned, as she automatically rubbed the large dogs belly. "What are their names?" she asked the woman.
“The one who flirted with you right away is Mareeba, and this big oaf right here is Daisy.” Lilo smiled, glad that her furry daughters were behaving. “I’m glad they’re being good with new company!”
“They’re great” Jessie replied, “You’ve obviously trained them very well and they look very healthy and well cared for” she observed, having noted their clean coats and happy attitudes.
It also helped that Lilo had gained the ability to understand what they were saying and to be understood by them. But she wasn’t about to go telling random strangers all of that. “I just try to give them the best life I can. Dogs are way better and nicer than humans.”
“Oh I absolutely agree. The whole animal world is better. No prejudice or petty fights over stupid things. They just get on with it” Jessie watched the dogs playing.
“I think it’s why they live less time. They cram all the love that it takes humans sixty years to feel into ten or fifteen.” Lilo plopped down on the ground next to Daisy, smiling when the dog licked her face.
Jessie laughed softly, “I like that idea. It’s a much nicer way of thinking about it” she commented, “Have you always had dogs?” she asked curiously. She loved finding out more about the pet owners she came into contact with.
“I haven’t, actually. My parents were allergic, but when I moved here I got one to make me feel less scared about living alone.” She’d just taken to pet ownership like a duck to water. “My boyfriend used to be a dog trainer, though, so it’s awesome. I pick up lots of tips from him.”
“Well then you’re a natural” Jessie commented, “I see a lot of pet owners who aren’t half as good and sometimes they’ve had dogs all their life. I’m a veterinarian” she added by way of explanation. “That’s a handy boyfriend to have”
“Oh, wow, your dogs are lucky too! And Will’s just the best boyfriend ever. I won the lottery with - oof.” Lilo was interrupted by Daisy, the mastiff, plunking her huge butt down onto Lilo’s lap. “You’re not as small as you were when you were a baby, wee one.”
Jessie let out a laugh, “She obviously is in her mind” she said, “I once met someone who had a great dane who used to sit on her lap at home, crazy but then we do crazy things for our pets”
“I think she thinks she’ll always be my little girl.” The dog woofed low in agreement, which made Lilo laugh and rub her ears. Being able to communicate with animals had just made Lilo closer to her dogs.
“I think she might be right” Jessie said kindly, loving to see the close connection between this woman and her dog. It made her so happy to witness such love between and animal and owner.
“It’s true. I got her right after I moved here, and she’s always made me feel safe and at home. I just hope I do the same thing for her and Mareeba both.” Lilo took pet ownership seriously, just as seriously as everything else in her life.
“Oh I’m sure you do” Jessie assured her, “All you have to do is look at them to see how happy they are. I’m sure they’d tell you how much they love you if they could talk”
That made Lilo blush. “They kinda can, actually? I can ... understand animals.” Not just dogs, but all of them. Languages as well. But she liked to start out with just saying she understood animals so people wouldn’t be too scared of her.
Jessie chuckled before realising she looked serious, “Like Doctor Doolittle understand or just crazy pet owner understand?” she asked, feeling the need to clarify.
“Like Doctor Doolittle,” Lilo winced. She felt a little stupid for saying it, but she knew it to be true.
“This place is insane” Jessie breathed out before blushing, “I mean not you, just this place. So many strange things seem to happen here” she clarified, “Gotta say though, that skill could be really handy in my line of work sometimes”
“If you ever need me to come over, I can do that!” Lilo smiled. She liked the idea of helping out animals in any way she could.
“Oh really?” Jessie asked, “Are you sure? Because that would be great. Just in the emergencies, like sometimes it would take much less time to work out what’s wrong if we knew the type or location of the pain” And some pet owners couldn’t afford a lot of tests which meant sometimes Jessie couldn’t discover the problem at all - though she tried as much as possible to do them anyway.
“Oh, of course! And I can tell them what you’re doing, so it’ll stress the animals out less.” Lilo smiled. “Like when I explained to Daisy why she can’t just eat treats.”
“Thank you, that’s really very sweet and kind of you” Jessie said before chuckling, “Did she take it well?”
“Yup! She said she doesn’t want to stop being able to play and run, so she’ll eat healthsome stuff. I eat broccoli and things like that so we suffer together.” Lilo kissed the top of Daisy’s head, laughing when Mareeba did the same immediately after.
“She’s a clever girl” Jessie smiled as she watched Lilo with her dogs, then she felt a wet nose nuzzling into her neck and giggled. Stroking the dog and tickling her chin she said, “I think it’s time for us to get back. Got a few more dogs to walk today but it’s been lovely meeting you” she said, picking up her bag.
“You too! Here, let me give you my number so I can help you with patienst if you need it.” She grabbed a sharpie out of her purse, jotted her information down on a scrap of paper, and handed it to Jessie.
"Oh great, thank you so much. I'm Jessie by the way" she added as she realised the woman’s name was Lilo because she had written it down. "And I have to say I really do think luck was on my side today. See you soon Lilo" she smiled before whistling for the dog to follow her.