LUCKY’S STORY
By Kris Kiser
I’m not sure where Lucky was born or what his earliest experiences were like. But, I do know that when I found him, he needed help. He clearly was looking for water, something to eat and a warm place to rest.
On a cold Indiana day in February, his luck changed. That was the day, we “ran” into each other on the streets of Indianapolis.
I was on my way to work. All of a sudden there was a Terrier in the middle of the road with cars zooming past him, horns blowing. I decided, in an instant, to pull over and rescue him. He was shaking violently. From that moment forward, my world – and Lucky’s world – changed forever.
After a visit to the vet, I took Lucky home, where he met my other dog, a Rottweiler named Chase. As Chase grew older, he taught Lucky how to adapt to living in a house. Chase is gone now, and we miss him very much. He made Lucky a better dog.
Moving to DC
When we moved from Indiana to Washington, DC, it was quite a change for Lucky: People, cars, trucks, traffic, noise, dust and no yard. His outside life in the city is now on a leash, but it is for his own good and safety. He also frequently goes to work with me, where he gets to nap under my various co-workers desks. He’s an equal opportunity napper.
Over the years, he has met new friends. One of his best buddies, Max, has a great yard. Max is a Greyhound and also a rescue dog. They love to hang out together at Max’s place because they can run and play and just lie around in the yard without leashes.
Another of his best friends is Batch. Batch lives just down the street. Like Lucky, he goes to work with his owner every day, too. Batch hangs out at a big downtown, lighting store that his owner runs. Like Lucky, Batch doesn’t have a yard in Washington, DC but he does get to go out in the country on weekends where he has a huge yard. Actually it’s a farm with chickens and the whole nine yards. They get along well just hanging out.
Lucky still gets back to Indiana from time to time. We actually travel a lot together. When we visit my sister in Indiana, Lucky gets to play with her four dogs. Three of them are also rescue dogs like Lucky. They have a great yard too; this is the part we miss about Indiana. One of my sister’s dogs, Omega, and Lucky are closest. Omega is a German Shepherd and they get to travel to places together.
Going back and forth between Washington, DC and Indiana showed us the big difference between having a yard and not having a yard. Yards are always cool even on hot days and great for play and lying around. The city seems dustier and louder than our times in Indiana. When it rains in the city the water runs off the walks and streets and just disappears into the gutter, but with the yards the rain seems to stay put.
Lucky Adopts TurfMutt Moniker
Lucky’s love of yards, and these experiences in the city led to the TurfMutt Science Program, where Lucky serves as the “face” behind a series of educational worksheets, games and experiments for 3rd-5th graders so that they can learn to appreciate green spaces like parks, yards and forests. Who knows best about yards and green spaces, than a dog like Lucky?
As TurfMutt, Lucky can help teach students about how green plants absorb and store carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Students can learn why we need more green, living plants in our world to help with climate change, keep down the dust, grab the rain and help cool the cities.
Now, the TurfMutt program helps battle the “bad guys” that threaten the environment when we lose green space:
• Heatfreak, he causes the heat problems in our big cities;
• Dust Demon, he causes all the dust and dirt blowing around because we don’t have plants to grab it;
• Carbon Creep, he’s the problem with climate change; and
• Dr. Runoff, he causes all the rain to escape into the sewers and drains because there are not enough plants and grass to catch it all.
If we all do our part, we can win and make our world better place to live and play.
