Welcome to a series of stories I’m calling ‘The Land of Ago’.

Over the next few days while I make up my mind about which direction to take my blog, I’ll be sharing some of mine and Campbell’s best memories.

A few will be happy. A few will be sad. A few will make you laugh and one or two may make you mad. But if you read them, you’ll know just what a wonderous life King Campbell A.K.A Bubba Seeing Eye Dog and I had.

“For the time of ago is now”

Author Unknown

Come with me back in time. Back to the Land of Ago.

Before into my new life together we go.

Enjoy a story or two. For some they will be old and for some they will be new.

Watch your step as we open the door of memories and step through.

Bubba Tails From The Campbell Kingdom: the King Speaks

Written by

Patty L. Fletcher

Told by

King Campbell AKA Bubba The Seeing Eye Dog

September 17 2016

King Campbell sat quietly on the big stage waiting for all the humans to sit down and be quiet. With his Mommy and some of her human friends’ help he had finally gotten everyone in one big place, and he was about to do the most important work yet of his life. His fur shown black and beautiful under the bright lights, and although he felt a tad bit nervous and like he might like a bone to chew, he knew this must happen. He looked out into the crowd gathering there and saw some doggy friends among the humans as well, and this did make his heart glad. This meant that no human had been told that they “Must not bring the doggies inside”

As the crowd all settled in and grew quiet, King Campbell began to speak.

My name is King Campbell Seeing Eye Dog. I am here today to try and help all of you humans understand a bit better about what it is that my Mommy and I do, and why you humans must let us do it.

First off let me talk to you about whom and what I am and what I do for my Mommy.

I am a Dog Guide from The Seeing Eye. This means that I am a Seeing Eye Dog, and although there are lots of wonderful awesome Dog Guides out there from many different lands, I, and Doggies like me who are from the wonderful ancient and magical place called The Seeing Eye are the only doggies that can be called Seeing Eye Dogs. Think of us as if we were clothes or shoes. We have what you humans call a brand, and it is not like anyone else’s.

My job as a Seeing Eye Dog is to make certain that my Mommy is safe while she is going all the places that she wants to go. I must keep her from falling down stairs. I must keep her out of the path of all car monsters because; well… sometimes you humans do not do a very good job of watching where you are going. For some reason you seem to think that you can handle those monsters while you are on your phones, or fixing your radios. It is my job once we get where we are going to help Mommy get into and out of the building we are visiting, and to get to and from all the places inside that building safely and without causing harm to herself or others.

When you humans who own or run businesses say things like, “Do you have papers to prove that he is what you say?” or “You may not bring that dog in here.” You cause us trouble and it is something that absolutely must stop!

First off the people with great powers have said that it is the law that you allow us inside. Secondly when you say and do these things you make my Mommy feel like she is not a real person. You make her feel as if she must be ashamed, as if her not being able to see is something she should be punished for. How would you like it if every time you went inside a building, got on a bus, or tried to take a taxi you were told to take out your eyes and leave them at home? That is what you are doing each time you tell my Mommy that she cannot bring me into a building, get on a bus ride a cab, or do any other activity out in the public.

This is very wrong, and you should be very harshly corrected for this. If I were allowed to do it I would put a collar on you like the one I wear and I would give to you what is called a high collar correction.

This is not a fun thing to have happen to you, and when you do such as what I have spoken of you deserve that and more. I think that humans should no longer be allowed to work in their businesses or have to go to that horrible place called jail when they do such, but so far all that happens when people protest such is that sometimes a bit of money is given to those it is done to. While this is maybe a good thing it doesn’t seem to be working, so something else must be done. My doggie brain doesn’t exactly know what, but you humans with great powers should really use those powers to make a new law. A law that would once and for all put an end to such nastiness. Your behavior when you do such is the very biggest Pfui! Ever! You are Very Very Bad! Humans when you behave as such!

Just the other day we had such as what I am talking about happen to us. My Mommy woke up early in the morning. She was in a very happy mood. I could feel her happiness all around us. She was smiling, and singing as she did all her house work. She sung a beautiful song while she took her bath, and she stopped and gave me lots of loving every time she passed where I was laying waiting to go where ever we were to go this day. She kept sending messages to our human friend that we were going to go out and about with and they were making plans to meet and go to do some business together. I did not understand all that they were going to do, but Mommy was happy and that is all that mattered.

Finally we were out and about. We caught the bus and soon we were off for the day. We had to get on three different busses, and it was not until the third bus that we met up with our friend. When we finally found her, I had to stop and give her just a tiny lick. I try very hard to not do such but it is very very hard sometimes, and this particular human friend smells of so very much love, and this makes her taste so very good I simply cannot help myself, and even though my Mommy does correct me for it, I can smell her laughter hiding just underneath it.

Anyhow, finally after allot of riding around, on the busses we got where we were going, and at first all was going just as it should, but suddenly things began to go wrong! One of the humans in charge at the place we were visiting kept telling Mommy she had to prove I was who and what she said I was. Mommy kept trying to explain to her that she did not have to do such, but that if she could find what she called my Identification card she would do it just because she felt like being nice. After a time of looking for it she did find it, but by this time we had been moved from the line we were in and into a room away from everyone. I knew this was not right, and the feeling I got from my Mommy was that she was very upset and feeling a mix of all sorts of things.

I could smell sadness, anger and confusion from her. The other humans were starting to smell like what humans call know it all humans and that is one of the very nastiest smells I have ever smelled in my life! I do not like this smell and believe that it should be buried in the deepest hole ever dug in the dirt ever. While I was lying there at Mommy’s feet listening to all this go on around me I was so angry I wanted to bark and bark! But I could not. I wanted to stand up and bark, “Pfui! Pfui! Bad! Bad! Humans! Do you not know what you are doing is wrong? Do you have no respect?” But I could not! I had to lie quietly and wait for all these humans to get their act together and let my Mommy do what she’d come there to do.

Finally after a long time of arguing and my Mommy’s smell becoming more and more mixed up with feelings she was finally allowed to do it, but it took a long time, and she even had to call one of the most powerful and wise ladies at The Seeing Eye before it all got straight. This was not fair or right, but it is what happened.

I would like to ask all you humans who run or own businesses out there to please stop this. Do not do these things anymore. Think about what and how you would feel if it were you. Sometime when you are in a safe place where you know all about where things are, or when you are out and about with a trusted friend, how about putting on what they call a blindfold and learn just a bit about what it is for your eyes to not work. Think about what it would be like if you tried to go somewhere and do something all by yourself, or even with a friend but without your eyes. Ask yourself how you would like the other humans around you to treat you, and what you would like to have done for you. Ask yourself how you would feel if the only thing you had to help you was always being shoved out, or not accepted. I bet you do not like the thoughts of how that would make you feel. I bet you would feel lost and afraid. I bet you would feel as if you’d done something bad for being as you are.

To those of you who are out and about taking care of your business during the day, please? Ask before you pet me. Don’t call to me either. I am working when I am in my harness, and even when I am lying at Mommy’s feet it is not nice and sometimes it is troublesome for you to pet or talk to me. When you do this it keeps me from paying attention to what my Mommy is telling me. If I am lying quiet it makes me wiggle and waggle, and sometimes I get so very excited that I stand up, and then I get into trouble, and really you should be the one in trouble. So as my wise and ancient Trainer Drew says, “Stop think then act” He was very wise when he told my Mommy this, and Trainer Drew you would be quite proud to know that finally she has really started to listen and to do this, and all she wants is for the rest to do the same. I very much want to be able to do my job without bother, and without always having to smell my Mommy being upset while she fights for my right to do such.

So say it with me all you humans out there! “Let the dogs in!”

At first no one spoke, then one of mine and Mommy’s most favorite humans stood up, he began to clap and chant! “Let the dogs in! Let the dogs in!” Soon all the rest of the humans were standing and clapping as they chanted. The doggies in the room all stood and began to wag their tails, and soon the room fairly vibrated with all the noise!

After some time of letting this happen King Campbell’s human mother, who had been standing very quietly beside him threw up her hands and shouted over the awesome noise, “Rest! Thank you! But Rest!” After a moment or two all became quiet and still. All of the humans and doggies again took their seats. King Campbell’s tail was still thumping happily on the floor as he again spoke.

I would very much like to thank all of you for coming here this day, and listening to what I had to say. Before we all go back to where we came from my Mommy has something she would like to say.

The room somehow seemed to fall even more silent than it had been just a moment before. King Campbell’s Mommy cleared her throat and in a gentle voice she said,

“As King Campbell has said, I would like to thank you for coming here today, and for hearing this. It is not my intention to make you feel bad, and I do not want your pity. What I want is to be treated as anyone else would be treated. When I go to give my blood, have a meal, or buy clothes I simply want to be able to do those things without interruption. I always try and make it as convenient for all those around us as I can when we need help, and I always make certain that King Campbell behaves as he should, and most times he is a very well behaved doggy. Many times when he misbehaves it is either because he is simply being a silly Labrador and needs a quick reminder that he is working and must for a time stop that, or it is because some human has distracted him in some way and he has forgotten his job. He cannot help this. He is a very smart and well educated dog but he is still a dog. It was said to me once, “You can put the guide in the dog but you cannot take the dog out of the guide.” This is quite true, and we would like to ask all of you to remember this, and to remember what we have talked about here this day and to please share it with your friends. It is never our intent to be bothersome, but we must be allowed to do as we need to, and those who stop this from happening must start facing some stiff consequences or else nothing will ever change. Again I’d like to thank you for being here this day, and for now this is all we have to say.”

When she was through all the humans and dogs in the room began to clap and cheer. Again they chanted, “Let the dogs in! Let the dogs in!” They chanted and clapped and chanted and clapped. After a time all was over with and everyone went home.

Did this change the ways in which Dog Guides and other Service Animals are treated? Come back soon to find out. There are sure to be more Bubba Tails to let you know soon.

Until next time this is Patty and King Campbell Lee AKA Bubba The Seeing Eye Dog saying…

“May harmony find you, and blessid be.”

If you would like to learn more about all that has been talked about here please make certain to visit the site shown below,

Or call them at: 1.800.539.4425 to have them send you some most awesome information.

If you are a supporter of us and you’d like to help The Seeing Eye make sure there are more doggies like King Campbell make sure to find out how by seeing the link shown here or asking when you phone.

Thanks again, and again Blessid Be.

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