Go! (and take a nap!)

Our church recently had a sermon series focused on "Go!" verses that encouraged action and service. At the end of the series, we had a Service Sunday where we were encouraged to participate in a service project. Morey and I chose to volunteer at Recycled Reads, a bookstore run by the Austin Public Library that offers books that have been taken out of circulation and sells them at reduced prices. We went to help sort, organize, and shelve the books.

I helped shelve books in the children's section because I could reach all the shelves. In the area they had some giant stuffed animals, included a very large black dragon. Morey was a little hesitant about approaching it at first, but once he realized it wasn't alive he settled down for a nap. I guess he figures that he spends a good amount of his time "serving" and didn't see the need to put in extra hours.






While we were working, a woman came in with a German Shepherd wearing an orange wrap around its shoulders with a medical logo on it. The woman was walking around the store with the dog, who was very interested in Morey. I was so proud of Morey because he stayed in his "down" and didn't even whine when the dog passed by. When I engaged the woman in conversation, she said her dog was for epilepsy alert and mobility assistance and then the dog proceeded to drag her over to where Morey was laying. Thankfully they just sniffed noses before the woman dragged her dog away (she was using a prong collar which always makes me cringe).

There have been several times when I have been surprised by the presence of another dog in a public place and it was a good reminder for me to make sure Morey can maintain his professional demeanor when he sees other dogs because that doesn't only happen at the dog park! It was also a good reminder that just because a dog is a service dog doesn't mean I should assume that they will be under the complete control of their human partner.