Yesterday, on a whim, I contacted our dog-owning friends to ask them a question.

“Will you let me kidnap your Schnoodle?” I asked [not so] innocently.

This Schnoodle:

Under normal, non-pandemic circumstances, this would not be a problem. The kidnapping, I mean. 😉

Long-term readers of this blog know all about Molly and the endless dog-sitting and walking we have done with her over the years. She’s part of our family and practically grew up alongside my youngest.

They are both the same age: Molly turned 13 at the beginning of the year, and my girl will turn into a teenager in October. 😲

Thing is, we’re in this pandemic. Ugh. And, I read conflicting reports whether pets are carriers of the coronavirus.

Which is why I’m being extra careful. Two things are currently a challenge: my father is gravely ill, and Molly’s owner is a very recent cancer survivor.

If the virus travels on me or the kids and/or the dog, this could be a problem. We could be asymptomatic carriers, and so could the dog; it’s just not something I want to risk if not everyone is comfortable with my kidnapping plan.

I hesitated, but then decided to ask anyway.

My parents love Molly as much as we do and have spent many, many hours with her over the years. I thought Molly would be a happy distraction for my father. His Parkinsons has advanced significantly over the last couple of weeks and he is feeling the strain of all the restrictions now: mobility, breathing, eating…

He needs a happy diversion. Dogs like Molly are a happy diversion…

So I emailed my friend, inquired about her health and their coping, and then gave them a short preliminary into my dad’s situation. They, too, have met several times in the past. Then, I asked my question.

I got a resounding, immediate yes. 😃

So, I’m going to kidnap Molly later this morning and if both kids are up, the three of us can head over to my parents and surprise them with a Schnoodle. 🐾

I type this as the girl and her father are wiling away watching the crappy disgusting wet ridiculous weather report (summer in Toronto is canceled, apparently), and I’m eating oatmeal. In exactly one hour I will be heading over to the other end of the neighbourhood in the pissing rain (again, blah) and pick up Molly. When I return I expect to be on the road within minutes, but definitely before my partner starts remote-teaching at 10.

So my question is: will my teenager a) be out of bed, and b) ready to go by 9:30ish am?

Stay tuned for part 2…