“Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog” : The Final Cut: Bosco The Arrogant Snob! Off to a Barbeque at Drakes: We Meet Gordon Lightfoot: Ollie Smells Extreme Danger! Chapter Thirty Four (34)

It was only a few days after arriving back from Los Angeles when the “Bosco Incident” occurred. Fay had a long Zoom call with a book publisher who was interested in discussing her planned book “Our Life With Dillie The Westie” and requiring absolute quiet for the call Bob took Dillie The Westie and I for a walk on the Wilket Trail near Edwards Gardens, Toronto’s botanical gardens. It was a long walk and Dillie required a few rests and was limping by the time we returned home. My poor brother has a bit of a problem with arthritis but being a brave trooper and too proud ever to admit to discomfort and pain he tries his best to act years younger than he is. The true spirit of a West Highland Terrier.

Well Fay greets us with a funny smile on her face and says that we have had “an incident” in the backyard. Not listening but reacting with ferocity Bob pulls out his pistol a Glock and is prepared for a shootout with the “The Brothers of the Correct and Only Islam”. Bob rushes out to the backyard expecting to see his security detail shredded by a suicide bomber but almost trips over a dog on a leash! He laughs and says what has fate brought us this time! I wonder where Bob got the Glock.

It is a sad looking dog of mixed breed Fay found outside the gates of Drake’s house. We know Drake and ask his security detail if he can come out and talk with us. And he comes out with a few of his friends from a basketball team called the Toronto Raptors. I am not sure what basketball is but Bob tells us Drake loves it. We ask him if this is a dog he knows and he says no. But he asks us if we want to join him for a BBQ in his backyard that night and we say yes. He says don’t forget to bring Dillie and me. He suggests we check with Gordon Lightfoot next door but Lightfoot did not recognize the dog. Mr. Lightfoot asks us to come over for high tea in a few days and gives us his telephone number.

The dog is small and cute but what breed no one can guess. Perhaps a bit of this and that? One of his legs has been shaved for an intravenous feed and there are stitches in it. Bob phones Toronto Animal Control and they have no record of a missing dog meeting Bosco’s description. It’s Labour Day so we will take it to Dr. Murray at the animal hospital on Tuesday to see if it has a microchip. He has no tags or identification of any sort.

Bosco, as we call this dog, is about the same size as Dillie and I and initially he greets us with joy but when we approach his face for a sniff as all dogs do he rudely responds with a low growl. Bob and Fay are not appreciative of that. When Bob takes us for a walk he does that same growl to other dogs that come for a friendly sniff. We will have to wait to take him to Dr. Murray to see if he has a chip and we do so but he has none. A dog without any identity. Foolish owners unless this was an intentional abandonment. Bob leaves his number with Toronto Animal Control but there are no owners looking for this dog.

For the time being we call him Bosco. I give him a serious talking to and warn him to wise up or he will end up in an animal control shelter and based on my experience in Cairo my realism terrifies this little snobby dog thinking he was a purebred and that he was above me. He no longer acts as a king in the house and respects his junior position in the family. He is no Karim and I just can’t feel like we are the rat pack like it was with Karim but I say to Dillie lets give him some time and the wise Westie Dillie agrees.

Bob can’t bear to hand him over to a barren animal shelter a cruel and forbidding place. Bosco soon begins to realize how lucky he is and becomes humbler and more respectful. As far as I am concerned Dillie is the king in this family and Bosco is third place here and lucky to be that! He kind of stinks but Dr. Murray says wait a couple of weeks until he heals completely to give him a bath. At least his hair was not matted and covered with fleas like me in Cairo before I was rescued.

Ollie is acting worried. He smells something he can’t identify other than telling Dillie and I it smells like danger.