Transfer Camp: The Beginning for Talos

I was 10 minutes late for Transfer Camp at Service Dogs of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA).

I parked in a hurry, rushed inside and found…no one. Well, no one as in Kathy and Talos. Peggy broke the bad news to me: Kathy and Talos went home late the night before – they thought the weather was going to be bad and they wanted to get back to Williamsburg for the weekend break. They’d be back on Monday.

Monday?! I wouldn’t be there on Monday!

I had cleared my calendar for Friday, not Monday! Next week was already full, there wasn’t any way for me to make it back down for Transfer Camp. I missed my chance. I missed meeting Kathy. I missed seeing Talos one last time.

I was crushed.

I’d been waiting this for EVER! I had just tweeted and updated my Facebook status, everyone was expecting updates, pictures, and a full report. But, what was there to do? Crying or tantrumming wouldn’t bring them back.

Peggy took the opportunity, since I’d driven so far and had nothing else to do, to introduce me to SDV’s newest administrative assistant. As I followed Peggy back to the offices, my mind was still stuck in the fact that I wouldn’t get to see T or meet Kathy. I put on a happy face to meet Shannon – it wasn’t her fault my weekend was ruined.

As Peggy opened the office door, everything happened at once.

The flash from a camera, a vision of Kathy and T, and then the tears. They’d played a trick on me! Kathy and Talos didn’t go anywhere, they’d been hiding, waiting for me to get there to surprise me.

I can’t describe the feelings.

Elation, yes. Relief, yes. And a lot, lot more. I was finally meeting Kathy, the person who would be taking care of Talos. The one Talos would be taking care of. We’d met on Facebook, exchanged emails, but had never actually laid eyes on one another. It took a few minutes for the excitement and surprise to wear off enough that we could move out of the office and into the training room.

We spent the next 30 minutes getting to know each other, while I also spent some time loving on Talos. He was happy to see me, but was quite content in his new skin as “working service dog.” After the initial excitement, he went to lay down – there’s the good old Talos you all know and love from this blog!

We had a full day.

I was exhausted by the end of the day, I know Kathy and Talos probably were as well. There will be a few more blog posts with more pictures and some video I shot while visiting.

Kathy and Talos are back in Charlottesville right now, spending another week at Service Dogs of Virginia learning how to work together. Stay tuned for the next chapter about the fun I had at Transfer Camp!