Amy Ruksznis is a veterinarian in Portland. A true Mainer, she has returned home after spending four years in Prince Edward Island, Canada and is happy to have not collected too many pets while in veterinary school. Her mantra requires an ever-present-revolving space in her home used whenever animals-in-need must transition from one situation to a better one. Her own pets always welcome these foster kids into their home as long as the visitors don't wear out their welcome by eating all the toys or taking the best spot on the couch.
A new trail in Newcastle
The weather was beautiful and we headed North today on a new adventure. We finally pulled out the book I bought my girlfriend Denise for Christmas, A Dog Lover’s Companion to New England, and picked out where to go for a little hike with Toby and Roxie. I’ve been wicked sick and they didn’t even get to work with me last week. I owed them a jaunt that would leave them satisfied…judging by the pile of dogs on the floor below me tonight, we accomplished that goal.
Dodge Point Conservation area is in Newcastle, ME. Just off of Route 1 onto River Road, you then go south for about 2.5 miles. There are 500 acres of trails through the woods and along the shoreline where your dog is free to romp and play off leash if under voice command.
The sun was shining, and I had a new winter coat and snow pants to try out after spending my gift certificates at the L.L. Bean President’s Day sale. We had planned on finding a place to snowshoe, but it turns out that the trails were packed down well throughout the park area and we only needed warm boots to make our way around. We met a few other happy dogs, and the scenery was great. Windy shoreline, quiet woods, a few little frozen ponds here and there…it was a perfect walk. While we braving the shoreline, I found a giant horseshoe crab shell, and we let the wind push us around a bit as we tried to walk in the sand. The waves were creating slushy noises in places, and in others, it was freezing solid; leaving only wave-lines to show that at one point the water had motion to it.
If you venture up to Midcoast Maine, please be sure to check out these trails. I can’t wait to go and wander around through there again sometime; and neither can the dogs.
Work on a Saturday
Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it when it’s your turn to work on a Saturday that promises sunshine and a little warmth for the first time all week. How did I get through it? Well, I brought the dogs with me of course!
Toby and Roxie don’t keep track of the days of the week, but I’m sure they could tell by my attitude problem this morning that it wasn’t business as usual when I smacked my alarm clock off and shuffled to the shower. Getting up early didn’t bother them; it just meant they got to eat sooner. It’s amazing though how much they pick up on my routine. It doesn’t take much more than me making coffee and blow drying my hair to make Toby stand watch by the door. He knows that if he’s at the door looking cute and slightly concerned then I will likely cave and ask that magic question before I’m out the door.
“Wanna go to work?” It’s music to their ears. In a flash, their chins lift off the floor and the fly out the door, making a B-line to my car as if they might miss their chance if they don’t get there before I do. The twenty minute ride is quiet one, as if they are saving their energy for what’s ahead. When we turn the corner and get to North Deering, the whining begins. Roxie is ready to jump out of her skin with excitement and Toby is cocking his head this way and that trying to see who may be in the parking lot to greet. No one is there, but they know that the reception staff will be just inside waiting to talk doggie babble to them and shower them with attention. Every time they step through the door, they act as if it’s the most excitement they’ve ever had. The two dogs have separate agendas though. Roxie’s number one priority is to be loved by anyone she can reach and hold the attention of. Toby however, must run around upstairs and down until he finds a toy to flaunt before he is ready to say hello to anyone. He’s lucky the boss’s dog doesn’t hide her toys from the little kleptomaniac. He’s constantly misplacing them on her.
They know that they get a short time to run around before I have to get down to the business of taking care of other people’s beloved pets, but they use the time wisely. During all this chaos, I’m trying my best to find them a comfy blanket to set down in their oversized run out back. When it isn’t busy in the treatment area, the technicians let the dogs out again for another romp around the office. I’ll be in the exam room with my patients and suddenly hear the familiar jingling collars or a nose sniffing under the door. I know they are happy back there whether I’m there or not.
There is no rest for the weary on a Saturday and pets don’t put off being sick for a weekend. It’s a busy day and there is lots to do. The dogs settle for this and know they won’t be going for a walk on the Presumpscot River during lunch, because quite frankly, there is no lunch! They focus more and more on when the heck they’ll hear the vacuum, and then the mop bucket being filled. This is when they get really psyched! I’ll hear a little whine from Toby from the back room, then I’ll hear Roxie’s famous yawning howl. I always hope for their sake that I’ll be done with my paperwork shortly after all the appointments are finished. That rarely happens, but at least they’ll get to run around while I finish up.
These dogs love work. No wait…they love it when I work. But then again, so do I; especially since I don’t have to miss my pals while I’m gone. I’m so lucky I can enjoy both at the same time.
My Best Friends
I spend a lot of my free time with my two dogs. These blogs are as much theirs as mine as I hope to show you life in Maine through their eyes and what’s out there for you and your favorite friend(s).
Toby is an 8 year old Lab/Springer Spaniel. He and I have been through so much together. He’ll always be THAT dog to me. You know, the one that gets you teary eyed with just one thought of not having him in your life. I look into his big brown eyes and travel so deeply into them that I feel close to reaching his soul. We always joke about how in tune he is with human emotions that we swear in his previous life he was a really incredible human being and thus was rewarded by being brought back as a dog. 
Toby’s sidekick and my shadow is Roxie, a 6 year old Rottweiler/Beagle mix. You can’t help but love her for her incessant badgering for attention. Her nickname is “The Love Bandit”, and if you give her an inch, she’ll undoubtedly try and steal a lifetime of your love. She’ll adore you to no end for a quick pat, a small nod, or an invitation to nuzzle right up under your chin for as long as you can handle her there. (She's below with my cat, Meg.) 
These dogs lead a rough life. They go to work with me on most days and when lunch time nears, they know I’d never choose an actual meal over a chance to get outside for a romp with my pals. On my off days, they are my first priority. If I have errands, they help. If I don’t, that means more time for a hike, a trip to the beach or a full day of snowshoeing to who knows where.
Where do we go? That depends on the day, the weather, and the time available. Stay tuned for a few of our favorite places. Hopefully you’ll either have been there, or it’ll give you a new place to check out next time your dogs are demanding a little quality time.
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