• The Chief’s Dog

    In January 2021, my professional life changed completely.I became Chief of Côte Saint Luc EMS.It was a job filled with responsibility, long hours, high pressure and constant unpredictability. And with that promotion came a second, unspoken appointment.If I was the new EMS Chief, then Toby was the real EMS Chief. From the moment he walked…

  • Toby and the Year the World Stopped

    2020 was a year that changed everything.For me.For Stephanie.For Amira, who was still growing inside her.And for Toby, who faced the chaos with the soft strength only a dog can offer. When the first wave of COVID hit Quebec, life turned into a constant blur. I was pulled from one emergency mandate to another, working…

  • The Accidental Poodle Selfie

    There is a rule that every dog owner learns eventually.It is a simple rule.A universal rule.A rule created by chaos itself. Never leave your phone on a sofa that your dog believes belongs to him.Not even for one minute.Not even to go to the bathroom. I learned this the hard way. Toby had claimed a…

  • The Day We Adopted a Sheep

    When Stephanie and I decided to adopt a dog in December 2018, we imagined welcoming home a graceful, energetic, perfectly proportioned standard poodle. What we got instead was a sheep. Toby’s previous owner was a kind older gentleman who loved him deeply. Unfortunately, his work hours had become long and unpredictable. To make sure Toby…

  • Backseat Buddies

    Before Amira was born, I drove a huge eight passenger SUV.The kind of car that families buy when they expect chaos, luggage, strollers, groceries, and several small humans. But in our case, the vehicle had a very different purpose.It was for Toby. He claimed the entire second row as his personal throne.Every seat was his…

  • The Winter Wardrobe Struggle

    Winter in Quebec is not a season. It is a survival challenge.Near Mont Saint Hilaire, where Stephanie and I lived, the wind was something else. It did not blow. It attacked. It wrapped around the house like it was trying to repossess it. It made trees bend in ways trees should never bend. It made…

  • When Worry Met Love

    Some memories stay soft in the heart, even years later.This is one of them. It still makes me emotional every time I think about it. When Amira was little and caught a cold or fever, I was usually the one who stayed home with her. My job allowed more flexibility than Stephanie’s, and it gave…

  • Vacationing With Royalty

    I am on vacation right now, and as always, I cannot help comparing it to vacations with Toby. Travelling now feels simple. Travelling with Toby never was. Stephanie and I used to joke that we did not plan our vacations.We planned Toby’s vacations. Everything had to be dog friendly.Everything had to be comfortable for him.Everything…

  • The Snow Addict

    Some dogs enjoy snow.Toby did not enjoy it. Toby worshipped it. Whenever the first snowfall arrived, most people in Quebec groaned. Stephanie sighed. I mentally prepared for shoveling. The entire population braced for winter. But Toby?Toby saw snow and immediately lost his mind. He did not just want to play in it. He wanted to…

  • Caniche Cleaning Services

    Every family has its own little expressions, the kind that belong only to the people who lived together.One of ours was “Caniche Cleaning Services.” Toby took this title very seriously. Whenever food fell on the floor, Stephanie and I did not bend down to pick it up. We summoned the professional. All it took was…