Some dogs are easygoing.
Some dogs are independent.
And then there was Toby.
Toby had two settings when it came to being away from his humans:
1. Mild panic
2. Full dramatic despair
Which meant he either came to work with me or stayed at the one doggy daycare he actually trusted.
And thankfully, that daycare adored him as much as we did.
Toby had made a few good dog-friends there over the years. The kind of friendships built on shared squeaky toys, synchronized naps, and an unspoken agreement that the fence existed to be judged, not touched. The daycare staff knew him well. They knew his anxious little rituals, his favourite corner, and the exact tone of voice needed to convince him that yes, his humans were coming back.
They also knew his birthday.
Normally, Toby’s birthday was in July.
But 2021 was chaos for all of us.
We were exhausted, overworked, stretched thin.
And somehow, his special day slipped by.
Fast forward to September.
One morning, I dropped Toby off at daycare. He walked in with his usual charming combination of excitement and mild emotional instability. The staff member at the door gave me a conspiratorial smile.
“You know,” she said, “we owe someone a birthday.”
And that’s how Toby ended up getting the most unexpected, incredibly overdue, and completely perfect 8th birthday celebration.
The daycare owner went all out.
A dog-friendly cupcake topped with peanut butter.
A candle.
A festive little blue birthday hat that Toby wore with an impressive sense of pride, considering hats were usually everything he hated in life.
The photo they sent me was priceless.
There was Toby, sitting politely (for once), his head tilted just enough for the blue hat to look slightly too big. His eyes were locked on the cupcake like it was the Holy Grail. His tongue was mid-lick, curled in anticipation, as if he were tasting it before it even reached him.
The staff sang.
The dogs barked.
Toby vibrated with joy.
He got his cake.
He got his celebration.
And in that moment, he looked like the happiest dog in the world.
It didn’t matter that the birthday was two months late.
Toby didn’t keep track of dates.
He kept track of moments.
And this one was perfect.
Classic Toby.