Old Snap

I've owned many a dog in my life and each one was somewhat special to me. Yet, today when I think back, there is one dog which stands far ahead of the pack. He was my constant friend for only two years, 1957 and 1958, but even now after forty years I often think of Old Snap. I guess being a young boy of ten probably allowed me to get closer to him than normal. After all, at that age in a boy's life a dog is truly a best friend.

I can still remember my dad and mom returning from a trip to Lexington. In those days before the Mountain Parkway, it was a long, hard trip from our home near Jackson to Lexington. And when someone went and returned, it was a special event. Anyway, on this day of long ago, I recall my mother calling to me as I ran through the front yard to greet her and to help her carry some bags into the house. She said she had a surprise for me. But before she could tell me, I glanced toward the car. There just being pulled from the trunk by my dad was a large black and white dog. Luckily, he was held on a strong rope.

Bellowing in excitement, I ran toward my dad, but he motioned me back away from him. The dog, which turned out to be a collie of about four years of age, kind of half barked and half growled at me and I stopped. I stood there a few seconds and took in the situation. Finally, I got up the nerve to step forward and gently petted the dog. He seemed to enjoy it, but was still ready to defend himself. In a few moments we led him through the front yard and tied him to the porch.

Of course, the whole family had by this time gathered around the dog, just out of reach. Each admired the beauty of his silky black and white coat. He was a beautiful dog and his name was Snap. As we stood there, Mom told the story of how Old Snap had come home to our little home in the hills of Breathitt County.

By chance, while they had been shopping in Lexington that day, the urge to buy a dog had struck my parents. When she and Dad had asked a clerk about where a pet shop could be found, he had told them about a cheaper place to get a dog. He said that the local dog pound often had some nice dogs which could be gotten for next to nothing. Thus, my parents took his advice and went looking at the Lexington dog pound. As luck would have it, Mom saw Old Snap right off. She said there was just something about him that wouldn't let her go.

Well, when she picked out Old Snap she was surprised when the man who worked there told her she may have made a bad choice. For it seemed that Old Snap, who had been abandoned by his original owner, had been picked out not once but a couple of times before by people who thought he would would make an ideal pet. Little did they know his true nature. Within a day or two each family had returned Old Snap saying he was a mean, vicious dog unsafe to be around children. Mom looked at Snap and Snap looked at Mom. And according to Mom the two of them came to an understanding right then. And Snap came home.

In the days just after his arrival Snap became friends with our whole family, my sisters, my parents, and me. Not once did he show any of the meanness we had heard about. And soon he was untied and had the run of our place. Not once did he bother our chickens, ducks, or my pet rabbits. Dad made the decision to let him run free. It was the right choice, for Old Snap took to us all in a way which even today I remember fondly. For even though he belonged to the whole family it soon was evident that he and I were best friends.

Snap went everywhere I went. It didn't matter how long I stayed. Snap waited on me. The river was just across the little gravel road and through a big bottom. On the many days when I fished, Snap would lay patiently under some shady tree waiting for me to get finished with my business. Often he rode with me up and down the river in an old wooden boat. He didn't hesitate jumping in and joining me on hot summer days as I waded and played in the river. When I worked in the garden hoeing beans and corn, he would be right there at the edge of the garden waiting. When I walked or rode my bike up and down the road, Snap was always right behind me. On days when our family would load up for the weekly trip into town Snap would chase behind our car until we finally left him behind in a cloud of dust. I can still see him running for all he was worth steadily losing sight of our car.

I rode a bus to school and each morning Snap waited with me until he saw me safely on the bus. Then every evening he waited on the bus to return. It seemed that in the evening a few minutes before the bus was due to come down the little hill to our stop, Snap would come out and lay beside the gravel road to wait for my arrival. Our neighbors often commented on this habit.They had never seen a dog so faithful as Snap. Because there were two buses running by our home they couldn't understand how Snap could know which one I was on. Yet, when the other bus came down the hill he would just stand up and let it go by. Then when our bus stopped I could hardly get through the yard for his playful greeting.

Because I was surrounded by sisters and girls for my nearest neighbors, I guess I made extra time for Snap. We spent long hours together doing what boys and dogs do, enjoying the carefree time of youth.

Dad worked away in those days coming home on the weekends. My mother always said she was never afraid when Snap was around. He was the best of watch dogs. From his bed on the front porch he kept a close lookout for anything out of the ordinary. When a stranger came into our yard, Snap would raise his head but never would he bark. If the stranger called out and was greeted Snap never reacted at all. However, if anyone he didn't know came up on the porch without our knowledge they had Snap to contend with. I don't recall him ever actually biting anyone, but his bark scared several people back to their car.

This was in the days when most people let their dogs roam and nobody thought much of it. Anyway, there were a couple of big dogs in the neighborhood. Our friends down the road had a big red Irish Setter named Bullet and up the road lived a German Shepherd named Rex. For some unknown reason they both hated Snap and he felt the same for them. And from time to time these dogs fought. Bullet and Snap would stand up on their hind feet and go at each other's neck. I don't see how one or the other ever lived through these vicious fights. It was almost impossible to separate them when they got into the thick of fighting. Dashing cold water on them was the only way we ever found to separate them. Luckily, the dogs lived through many a harsh fight.

More and more Old Snap became a part of our family. We all loved that dog. Then just about two years after he had come to our home tragedy struck. As all male dogs will, Old Snap went on a courting trip. He was gone for days. And when he came home he barely made it. Someone had hit him in the head with a sharp tool. His skull was exposed and a large gash ripped across his head. I was heart broken. Snap no longer was Snap. The once smart and carefree dog now labored to take a step.

The whole family rallied to help him. In those days there was no vet close to Jackson, so we did the best we could. Slowly, Snap began to mend. Within a few weeks he almost seemed his old self again. But he had changed. His moods changed quickly. One minute he was a gentle pet and the next he was a growling cur. These sudden changes scared us. Mom decided it was no longer safe to keep Snap and decided to give him away. This was not a decision made lightly. She loved Snap as much as me. But for the safety of all we knew it had to be.

As it was there was a man living in the next county who had always asked for Snap if anything ever happened to cause us to give him up. Well, Dad called him and in a few days we said our tearful goodbyes to our dear dog. Many a sad day followed not only for me but for the whole family. We missed Old Snap.

We didn't know it then, but Snap was not out of our lives just yet. Just like Lassie, Snap came home. A month or so after Snap was taken to the next county, I was playing in the front yard when I heard a faint bark. I looked down the road and there was Snap making his way slowly toward me. I couldn't believe it and ran to greet my old friend. As I got closer I noticed how weak and ragged he looked. Burs were matted in this long hair and he walked with a slight limp. It was evident he had been on his journey for a long time. But here he was, home again and I didn't care what he looked like. I led him into the yard and called out to Mom. Like me she hollowed in delight as the tired dog came near her.

But as the days passed we all had to admit that Old Snap had not come home. Indeed, the dog which we still loved and began to tenderly nurse back to health was a changed animal. Even though he tried, he was not the Snap we knew. He just could not come back from whatever had happened to him. And we all knew it. Indeed, at times Old Snap became vicious, even with us. He never bit any of the family, but a loud growl or bark caused us to step back from the same dog which once loved us to death.

Things went on for a few weeks but they grew worse. Snap began killing chickens and ducks. And he was forevermore trying to get into the fenced pen where I kept my pet rabbits. I guess we all knew the end was near but would not admit it.

Finally one fateful morning I went up the hollow to my rabbit pen. As I approached I saw Snap sitting to one side of it. Inside I saw that he had finally been successful in getting in. There, as if asleep, were my rabbits. All were dead. Sometime during the night Old Snap had dug under the wire fence and attacked the defenseless rabbits. They had been easy prey. Of course, I was heart broken, but I understood. The dog which killed the rabbits was no longer my Old Snap.

My father and mother decided shortly afterward that the dog was no longer safe. Thus,it was decided that he had to be destroyed. It was a decision I could not agree to, but knew it was best for my family. A few days later as I got off the school bus I looked for Snap but he was not in his familiar place waiting for me. The deed had been done. With the help of my father I buried Snap on the river bank just up from where I fished. For years afterward I often stopped at his grave, pausing to briefly relive the joy this wonderful dog had brought to a young boy. Even now, his memory brings a deep feeling of sadness to my heart, but also a yearning for simpler days when a dog was a big part of my life.

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