b"The Best,Best BoyIn The Worldby Arin GreenwoodIts been several months since we lost He was skinny, dirty, and had a badour Mr. Dog. Let me tell you the story cough. He lay down on the floor andabout how we got the best best boy in rolled right over for a belly rub. Wellthe whole world. It was April of 2010. that was it.Ray and I had been together about a We asked if we could bring himyear. Wed moved in together almost home for one night to meet our cat.immediately,andadoptedawild They said yes. When we got to our lit-orangekittynotmuchafterthat tle walk-up apartment, Baxter walkedfiercelittleDerrick.Nowwewere in the door, ran right into our bed-ready to add a dog to our family. room, and hopped up onto the bed.I wasnt yet an animal writerit Ray and I agreed that he'd made thewas later, I would become an animal decision for us.welfare journalist, specializing in shel- BaxterbecameMurray. Hedidtering and rescue. Before that,I was not love verrrry long walkshe lovedjust your ordinary dog-loving person. verrrrylongnaps.HewasobsessedSo I brought a whole lot of not-know- with cats he met outsidecrying anding to the adoption process.strainingtomeetthem,andmostlyThetwothingswereallycared scaringthemoffbutDerrick,andaboutinadoptingadogwerethat thethreeothercatsweeventuallythey'dbegoodwithourcatorat brought home, were of no interest toleastnotbadwithhimandthat him whatsoever. (Unless we paid themthey'd accompany me on, as I put it, toomuchattention;thenhedverrrrry long walks.A Border Collie, get grumpy.)we figured, for no good reason, would And we loved him. We loved himEveryone thinks they have the best dog, and possess both characteristics. Why not? forwhohewas.Forhisstubborn,none of them are wrong. W.R. Purche SowesearchedPetfinderfor funnypersonality.HetrainedustoPhotograph of Arin Greenwood and her dog Murrayby Laurie Ross. BorderCollies,andnoneofthem give him dinner at 4 in the afternoon,reallyjumpedoutatus.Thenwe andtonottakehimtorestaurantsspotted Baxter, as he was called at the becausehecouldbearealjerktotime. Baxter, we were told, had been wait staff. broughtupnorthfromasouthern He loved going swimming at theshelter;somethingthatdidntmean beach and hated the post-swim baths.much to us, and now I know means He played fetch with such vigor thatthat the odds of him having lived, and he gave himself the occasional sportsushavingfoundeachother,were injury.Hewalkeduspurposelyvery low.throughtheneighborhoodsoheBaxterwasbeingfosteredata could sniff his favorite stinks, visit hisdoggiedaycareindowntown favoritetreatdistributors,andpoopWashington, DCwe lived just out- on his enemies lawns. I sang to him,side DC at the time. We went to meet manytimeseveryday,makinguphimatthedaycareonenightafter little tunes about him being the bestwork.Helookednothinglikea and handsomest boyand he put upBorder Colliewe didnt know what with it all, giving me doleful looks andhe was, but definitely not that. then following me to the bathroom. 26 THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com"