Various Styles forever

After more than thirteen years of loyal service, the one and only Various Styles is now no longer with us.  He lived in Hayes Valley of San Francisco for nearly five years but originally hails from the city’s Western Addition – when it was still quite surly and before it was given the misnomer NOPA.  I found him with my then-girlfriend Megan, walking on McAllister between Central and Lyon.  We introduced ourselves and he just followed us.  That was in 1999.

I took him in and put up signs to see if anyone would claim him which no one did.  And after two or three weeks of impromptu foster care, I figured, Why not?  But now, I had another mouth to feed!  I was fresh out of art school then and often credit Various with inspiring me to get my first job after college.  That would be the start of my career in arts and nonprofit work, beginning at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Megan was the avid animal lover between the both of us and was the one to point out that he was probably a Pitbull.  The idea didn’t register.  I thought Pitbulls were supposed to be ugly and dangerous but Various didn’t look like that at all.  In fact, he was quite handsome and frequently received compliments, some people surprisingly mistaking him for a Weimaraner.  I’d even tease him when he whined and I would say, “Various, you’re a Pitbull, not a Whine-a-rhymer.”  He was quite timid and fearful at the start, cowering whenever I picked up to read the newspaper, which I figured was how his former owners disciplined him.  He was about eight months old, the vets told me during our first doctor visit, after having inspected the cleanliness of his teeth.  Over the years, he learned to take it easy, enjoy, and trust, which is owed entirely to all the good people – friends and total strangers – that gave him a chance to just be a dog again, and not the monster from the news.

Various was really bright and learned commands easily.  Sit, stay, up, catch, come, lay down, roll over, and speak.  If you’d seen any of our training or refresher sessions, it would appear that I was the professor but Various has taught me a lot in return.  I was fragile as a young adult and emotionally unstable, getting depressed or angry at the smallest triggers.  Dogs are sensitive though and tend to mirror, react, or worry in the presence of their irate masters.  I cared more for his psychological well-being than I did my own, and I made a practice and art of learning to chillax more effectively so that he wouldn’t be so worked up.  Whatever calm I have now as a grown-up is thanks all to Various.

Was he the perfect dog?  No.  He was human after all – in that he had flaws.  His most prominent, that he only really got along well with humans.  He had few dog friends, the ones next door to our old place (which was especially sad when we had to move).  And he had a strong prey drive and had gotten into a few serious battles with the neighborhood cats.  “Fighting like cats and dogs” isn’t just an idiom.  It’s very real.  After one of these skirmishes, I found myself mentally worn down.  Following years of a very trying canine-handler partnership, I seriously considered giving him up, conflicted by the awful truth that he’d likely get executed in the adoption system.  Not a week later, a woman was assaulted by a man in the wee hours of the morning in front of our house.  I called the cops and they caught the creep.  She wrote me a nice note, anonymously thanking me for saving her life.  But really, I was fast asleep and it was Various that alerted me to some trouble happening outside the window.  The boy is a hero.  An imperfect but bona fide hero.  And against any and all public criticism, I vowed an unbroken steely allegiance to this four-legged ever since.

Animals have a sixth sense they say, that they know things intuitively or that they can predict things.  Except for earthquakes which, funny enough, Various always seemed to sleep through, I believe he had this power.  The doctor diagnosed him with a terminal disease early this October and had given him two to four weeks left.  It was hard to take in.  He seemed so full of vigor still, even with his multiplying symptoms.  My lady, Ann, and I prioritized quality of life for our trusty guardian.  Home-cooked meals, car rides, a walk along the beach, a blessing from a priest, a party in his honor, veterinary house visits, and even pet acupuncture.  We gave our all, we really gave our all. Still, the clock only winds in one direction – for us each.  As his health declined, Ann had to go on a business trip and worried about leaving him.  She asked him to wait.  And good boy that he was, he did.  He knew without knowing.

Ann flew back in yesterday morning.  Various had one last walk early in the day and rested for the duration of his time.  In the evening, he received an acupuncture session which seemed to relax him and also make him quite thirsty.  He drank a lot of water and then rested.  A couple hours later, we witnessed life and death work through their timeless exchange.  He went very rapidly.  Between his first sign of discomfort to his last breath was only about fifteen minutes.  Not nearly enough time for the doctor to arrive to administer euthanasia.  Various passed at home, in our laps, and as always, with lots of love and praise.  “Good boy, Various.  Good boy.”  Our vet came by with his assistant to help us with aftercare.  They asked if Various had a favorite toy or treat that we would like included in his cremation.  Many of you can probably guess.  His rope.

That same night, between bouts of falling apart, I was moved to tidy up parts of the house.  I noticed a moth hanging out on the bathroom wall.  It was curious because it was uniquely coffee-colored just like Various.  Ann saw it later herself and also pointed out the peculiarity.  After waking up the next day (today), I opened my eyes towards the bedroom window.  That same moth had relocated and found its new perch on the blinds next to us.  “Look.”

Ann and I both figured that Various made the trip okay and has sent us this little winged messenger to let us know he’ll be watching over us always.

Various
Also affectionately known as:
Various Styles,
V,
The Boy,
The Beast,
The Four-Legged,
Dog,
Puppy,
Pup-pup,
and Angel.
Faithful friend for life.
(Approximately) September 1, 1998 – October 27, 2011.