"Is that Zeus??" came the incredulous query. When I nodded in affirmation (and puzzlement), the student teacher who had poked his head into my classroom to peek at Zeus continued.
"Man, we HATED that dog. He was always busting someone out at school."
And he turned and continued down to his own classroom. I stood there and fumed, thinking, "Well, of COURSE he did! He was doing his job!"
As mad as that comment had made me, I also knew that it was because of that kind of reaction to Zeus and how well he was doing his narcotics sniffing job that we ended up with him.
Zeus was a retired narcotics dog and had had a highly successful career, finding tens of thousands of dollars of illegal drugs hidden in cars, trucks, backpacks, and buildings year after year after year. He was so good and well known in his community that the police station had begun receiving death threats against him.
So, when hip displasia began making it difficult for Zeus to hop in and out of the squad car, the police force absolutely did NOT want Zeus to be retired locally. As Officer Tim later told me, "We were afraid his new owners would let Zeus out into their back yard and someone with a grudge against him would drive by and shoot him."
Death threats - a price he paid for serving well.
Sarah was Officer Tim's back yard neighbor and she had a real soft spot for Zeus. Learning of the police department's dilemma, she told Tim that her parents lived in another town where he would be safe and that we would love to have Zeus.
And thus we became Zeus's retirement home. (The story in Sarah's words is below.)
He was a magnificent dog - taller than Tammo and with a much heavier build. He was also a sweet and friendly boy who loved being with people.
Zeus was very sensitive to those with whom he came into contact - my mother was early into widowhood, and Zeus would choose to sit with her over other family members whenever she was with us. (Here she is celebrating her 80th birthday with Zeus by her side. Look how tall he is!)
When a group of my students came by trick or treating and we posed for a photo together, Zeus deliberately came over and sat with the little sister who had been straining to get to him and pet him since she had arrived at our home.
She leaned over to hug him just as the camera snapped - and lucky me, I have this photo that will always remind me of his sensitivity, gentleness, and kindness with that little girl.
Zeus looked out for me more than once, too. When I'd had my first knee replacement and was recovering at home,
he insisted on staying by my side during that time. Such a good companion!
Sarah shared her version of how he came to be our dog back in 2010 in my Teachinmama blog.
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January 6, 2010 (written by Sarah shortly after Zeus' cancer diagnosis)
Because I have a feeling Zeus is not going to be with us much longer, I thought I would post a little something about him today.
Meet Zeus, former K9. Seriously. When we lived in Illinois, his handler lived behind us. I would always see this GREAT big Lab hanging in the backyard, looking forlorn. As I got to know the neighbors, I found out that the wife did not like dogs, and thus Zeus was an outdoor dog.
One evening, Zeus started barking around 1:30 AM. JC was a baby, and I remember waking up suddenly knowing that something was wrong. When I heard Zeus's bark, I knew immediately that it was a DANGER bark.
Sure enough our neighbor the cop had come out and let Zeus into our backyard (knowing that we would be grateful!) There was a commotion, and we saw a flashlight and heard some crashing.
It turns out that Zeus had seen a prowler in our backyard by a window and had let Tim know there was a problem. From that day on, I knew that I would return the favor to Zeus as he had prevented something potentially serious from happening.
About a year later, Tim told me that the police department was going to retire Zeus as his hips were giving him some trouble. He happened to mention that they were looking for a home. I perked up and thought of my parents who had not had a dog since our beloved Duffy had passed away a few years earlier.
I mentioned it to my parents who kind of gave a "we'll see" response. At first. Within a few days, my parents had adopted Zeus and taken him home to live his new and improved life. No more outside dog!!!
Since that time Zeus has made a special place in all our hearts. He has saved my sister from danger in a gas station, has a fan club,
Lavanya, a member of the neighborhood Zeus Fan Club,
and has earned the title "My Favorite Zeus."
Zeus, Trinity, and her favorite stuffy, Zeus.
For a long time, black was Trinity's favorite color because that was the color of Zeus.
This dog is seriously special. I am grateful to have had a part in bringing him into our lives. It will be really hard to say goodbye for good.
Love,
Sarah
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That "saved my sister from danger in a gas station" Sarah mentioned? As a newly minted driver, Jessica had pulled into a gas station to fill up the car. Unfortunately, that gas station was in a part of town where there was a lot of crime and drug problems. The station itself had had its own share of problems with crime. It was NOT a safe place to stop.
A man approached her at the pump and came on strong and not in a good way. Terrified, Jessie ran into the station's building and called me for help.
Grabbing Zeus for our safety, I jumped into my car and broke speed records to get to her. Taking his leash in hand, he and I barreled inside the station and escorted her safely back to her car.
I knew Zeus would not attack anyone (although I am sure he would have defended us if needed) but the people inside the station didn't know that - they just saw this huge black dog on a leash and were intimidated enough to stay away from us.
Thank you, Zeus. That was a very scary time and I still get scared writing about that incident!
There is more to share about Zeus coming. Stay 'tooned!
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