Meet Dobby – Navasota’s Most Popular Dog
September 18, 2019 was a day like any other day, but it was a very special day for a small lost puppy. This was the day that little dog walked to Muddy Water Bookstore, sat down, and claimed his place in the hearts of his soon-to-be owners. The little guy had been wandering the streets of Navasota with no collar for some time and desperately needed a home – but he was going to need some help.
Help came in the form of the outstretched arms and loving hearts of Suzie and Wes Linnenbank. Suzie is the owner of Muddy Water Bookstore, and her husband Wes has his law office right around the corner. Both Suzie and Wes took pity on the small dog and did everything they could to find his first human parents, but to no avail. They posted pictures of him on Facebook and contacted a lady by the name of Gretchen Kliafas to step in and foster the little guy until a permanent adoption could take place. That lasted less than 24 hours. The little dog had already latched onto the hearts of Suzie and Wes and the next morning they called Gretchen to get the dog back and he has been a part of their family ever since. All he needed then was a name.
Suzie, being the bibliophile, selected “Dobby” from Harry Potter lore to be the dog’s name. In the book series, Dobby was a house elf and was able to escape from his first master who was very cruel to him. Suzie says that her Dobby is the bookstore elf, and his job is to serve as a minister of goodness towards all customers. He dutifully serves his customers every day at the bookstore, sharing his loving energy with all who pass through, most especially with children. He really loves them most of all. When he’s not making his rounds inside the store, he monitors the sidewalk just outside searching for someone else to love on or another dog to play with.
Dobby is about three and a half years old now and even has his own genealogy breakdown. He is 36% Pit Bull, 20% Chihuahua, 14% Staffordshire Terrier, 10% small poodle, 8% German Shepherd, 14% Other Breeds, and 100% adorable. Nearly every person passing by the store stops to pet him and to enjoy his warm, outgoing personality and charm. Most passers-by know him by name and use the opportunity to reconnect with him every time they are making their way down Washington Avenue. Dobby can be intimidating for some due to his size, but he has never met a person he didn’t like.
Most of the time we, as humans choose the dog, we prefer to share our lives with, but sometimes the dog chooses us and what effervesces out of that combination of elements is an unbreakable, everlasting bond. There are some vicious dogs out there and there are some vicious people out there as well, but the outstanding majority is the exception. All dogs need and deserve loving homes and loving homes need and deserve the love and affection that only good dogs can provide. This symbiotic relationship could not be more evident in how the Linnenbank’s and Dobby are living their best lives together. So, Dobby – you chose well. On September 18, 2019, you hit the lottery.
The column represents the thoughts and opinions of Alan Shoalmire. Opinion columns are NOT the opinion of the Navasota Examiner.
Alan Shoalmire is a resident in Grimes County and the owner of Grill Sergeant Hotdogs and submits a column to the Navasota Examiner every other week.