In 2010 she told near-fatal pancreatitis to F off.

Then she was daddy’s rock during multiple renovations and one home invasion.

Cut to this past Tuesday and she was admitted to hospital and quite close to organ failure. I held her in my arms as she seemed near death; multiple doctors said “prepare yourself for compassionate euthanasia.” I cried more in 2 days than I have in the past decade.

Badass MFer

Once again, the bitch is back.

Triscuit Pollock is a survivor many times over and—even though I’m taking this moment to celebrate—I’m well aware that she’s an older pup and “there are fewer days ahead than there are behind” as Jean-Luc Picard so famously said.

Literally anyone who knows Triscuit will tell you “that ain’t no dog—she’s human.” Literally the smartest, nimblest, kind-to-all-humans creature I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. Now we can add “erstwhile survivor” to her pedigree and résumé. She’s changed me down to the cellular level and I’ll be forever grateful to her (and by extension Charley).

Tattooed on my heart

Speaking of gratitude: I’m literally humbled by the words of kindness across social media when I posted to Twitter & Facebook asking for people to pull for her—because that lifting worked wonders. And it’s a testament to how much she’s loved.

Here’s just a sampling of some of the posts that will be forever tattooed on my heart:

Social media can be a back-stabbing lunatic slasher movie sometimes; other times it’s a place to seek/find support in difficult times. This was one of those times.

WATCH: World cheering first responders will lift your spirits [UPDATED]

Raise a glass to heroes

Last but certainly not least: although doctors, nurses, interns and hospital staff rightly receive lion’s share of gratitude while fighting on Coronavirus‘ front-lines, there is an entire universe of veterinary staff working in similarly dangerous conditions to make sure our furry children are happy and healthy. I am in awe of them.

• Dr. Washington at VCA Pets Are People Too: she kept me informed and grounded during the perilous time between when Triscuit left VCA to go to Blue Pearl in Sandy Springs—an advanced care facility.
• Dr. Shelnutt at Blue Pearl: she calmly explained everything that was happening to a hysterical papa and was great with communication. Nurse Lin was also wonderful and always called her “sweet Triscuit.”

Dr. Washington & Dr. Shelnutt saved Triscuit’s life, full stop. And both VCA & Blue Pearl have adapted their practices in the age of COVID to protect everyone and create safe distances. We salute you and we’ll be forever grateful for helping to create the best reunion I could’ve ever imagined.

Trisky is not out of the woods. She’s very weak and lost a lot of weight, and I don’t know what the future holds for her. She’s eating well, pooping, jumping a little and I even got a bit of a tail-wag today. What I DO know is she’s back between my legs as I type this post and for whatever amount of time we have left is a blessing beyond description. 💚

Writer’s note: make a donation to your local Humane Society and adopt, don’t shop. Also please consider buying my book “Leaving Triscuit” which is a guide to consciously leaving pets during holidays and work trips, inspired by you-know-who. Your furry children know more about the world around them than you think; learn more about how to communicate with them during away-time.

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Will Pollock is a perpetually cranky New York City escapee based in Midtown Atlanta. He’s a freelance multimedia journalist and author of two books (the award-winning Pizza for Good & Leaving Triscuit), with more on the way.

In 2001, Will earned his Masters from The Medill School of Journalism, graduating with highest honors from the magazine sequence. As permanent member of Journalism’s National Honors Society, he’s been active in monitoring, writing and blogging about media and journalism ever since he graduated.

Obsessed with good storytelling and journalistic excellence, Will uses snark, humor and reason to distill dumb shit and make it fun. He is a seeker/maker of non-consensus news, and helps you cure your crankies by finding the nut in every story.

As for-profit media and news outlets continue to fail us, it’s more important than ever to find reliable sources. Authentic storytelling exists—you just have to look for it. On this blog you’ll get ideas, not ideology. Sass with class. Reporting with rapport. Evidence with a touch of evil. You get the idea.

Support independent authors, writers, artists, journalists and professionals. Buy a book, leave a review, start a discussion. Show solidarity so that we can achieve greater balance and, in the end, learn more.