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Layla's Legacy
I’ll never forget the desperate voice at the other end of the
phone that October evening in 2005. “Good evening, Dog Tired - this is Kari,” I
said. “Kari, my name is Kirsten, my husband is deployed in Iraq, I have a large
puppy we rescued from Animal Control, she is tearing up my house and I don’t
know what to do, she makes me feel safe, but I can’t control her and go to work
all day.” Kirsten began to cry. I reassured her that everything would be okay and invited her and her dog Layla to come in for an evaluation. Little did I
know that would be the beginning of a very long relationship both as a client
and friend.
Layla - a beautiful Great Dane / Boxer mix - was full of energy and quickly
became one of my favorite clients. She challenged me on a daily basis, at first
chewing up toys, then our blankets….moving on to the large soft dog beds….and
then one day she tore into the rubber flooring. My business partner at the time
stated that Layla had to go. I disagreed. If we couldn’t help a dog like this
who played so appropriately, but had some mild destruction issues, then why did
we open this business? Layla stayed.
As 2006 began, Layla came almost daily. She and I bonded on a deeper level and
soon she did not want to leave daycare at the end of the day. Kirsten and I
struggled to get her out of the lobby and into the car. We tried Yummy Chummies,
cheese, rawhide treats – anything to coax her out the door, but most nights I
would just hoist up her 70+ pounds and carry her out into the night, placing her
into the back of their Toyota SUV. Then one late night it dawned on us that she
might not like being in the very back of the vehicle. Kirsten put Layla on the
back seat the next morning on the way to daycare; she was very excited when she
arrived that day. That evening Layla went bounding out of the lobby into the
parking lot and into the back seat. Simple solutions are sometimes the ones we
think of last. There are many success stories with Layla over the past year and
a half. I’ve spent over 2,000 hours with this dog and she holds a very special
place in my heart. And so does her mom.
While I was getting to know Kirsten and Layla, Brad Clark was deployed to Iraq
with the 176th Stryker Brigade. I met him in late January 2006 on his mid-tour
home. He had heard so much about Dog Tired from Kirsten, and seen pictures of
Layla and her daycare pals. He walked into our lobby to drop off Layla one day
and I just ran up to him and gave him a huge hug. I felt as though I already
knew him through so many conversations with Kirsten. Once we finished our embrace, I stepped back and said “You must be Layla’s dad?” He just smiled the
best smile I’ve ever seen.
When the news came that the 176th’s tour was being extended, I was really
concerned for Kirsten’s well being. As a former military wife myself, I knew the
hardship and stress that spouses go through when loved ones are overseas. The next day you could see it in her face - no longer was she counting the days to
Brad’s homecoming. The fear had returned, along with the hollow question of what
if he didn’t come home. Local news stations, including the one where Kirsten worked, continued to report almost daily the death toll of US soldiers in Iraq.
I prayed for Brad’s safety and for Kirsten’s strength to hold on day by day. And
Layla continued to bring us both joy.
Finally the day arrived in December – the 176th returned to Alaska and Brad was
safely home. My heart skipped a beat that morning when all three of them walked
into Dog Tired together. Kirsten’s employer was not willing to give her leave upon Brad’s return, so she left her job and to our benefit, became an employee
of Dog Tired in early January 2007. Layla wasn’t quite sure why Mom was coming
to school with her, but she soon adjusted and was just as happy as usual.
Why am I telling you this story? Because on Friday, May 18, we said goodbye to
Layla, Kirsten, and Brad. With Brad’s military service complete, they have left
Alaska, heading home to St. Petersburg, Florida. As I watched them drive out of
our parking lot, it hit me. I stood there in the doorway and cried until I
couldn’t see their car anymore. My capacity to love dogs is without limits, and
my love for that dog in particular is endless. I lost one of my first clients, a
dear friend and wonderful employee all in one day and it was tough to swallow.
Layla touched my soul in a way that fills my cup, and my heart aches with her
absence.
Now that a few weeks have passed, the tears have dried but my heart still sinks
a little every time I walk into Layla’s Lounge. It makes me very aware that each of my clients is so very
dear to me and that their lives are so much shorter than mine. As others leave us, my heart will ache for them as
well, but that connection is the reward of this business. Not many people can say that they are so satisfied by their job
or that they care so deeply for their clients and employees. But I am and I do and I am so very lucky, because when
some people “go to their happy place,” it isn’t an actual place. Mine is very real, and I get to go there every
day. My cup overflows.
- Kari Campbell
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