On March 19, 2020, we received an urgent email from Front Street Animal Shelter: “We just learned that our shelter may shut down. We need to get dogs out immediately while we still can.”

As animal lovers who six months earlier had bought a South Land Park home that still had no animals in it, we figured we may as well pitch in during the pandemic and foster a dog in need. The situation at the shelter was so dire, we learned, that unlike the normal process, there’d be no application and no orientation; you just showed up that day and had a dog placed in your car.

So began our relationship with a friendly but nameless stray pitbull with no known backstory.

About two years old and athletic, with a physique that resembles a certain former California governor, Eddie  — named after Paul’s late, quite muscular, grandfather — was a perfect 50-pound gentleman. He was house-trained, friendly to all people and animals, and had a primary mission in life simply never to be alone. 

Ironically, we met more of our neighbors in the first couple weeks of pandemic isolation — all while walking Eddie through the neighborhood — than we did the first six months since moving in. Yes, there were some people with irrational fears of pitbulls who crossed the street when Eddie strutted by, but many neighbors purposely stopped to pet this new canine entrant to the community. 

The American Temperament Test Society ranks pitbulls as one of the most affectionate and least aggressive dog breeds. Once known as “nanny dogs” in the early 20th century due to their gentle nature around children, Eddie proved to embody this history. He quickly became a beloved fixture in our neighborhood.

So when we decided to become foster-failures and make Eddie a permanent part of our family, many in South Land Park rejoiced. Quickly he had dog dates set up at neighbors’ houses, pool parties and even gifts from strangers. Our neighbors were now our friends.

Fast forward 4.5 years, and we just threw Eddie his seventh birthday party, hosting 11 of his canine friends and 20 of their human companions at our home. With no dog fights — and no human fights either — Eddie, proudly wearing a birthday hat, was the center of attention, surrounded by dog cake and toys.

It’s hard to overstate how much happiness Eddie’s brought to our life, and how much more he’s made our house feel like a home. Whether walking in the neighborhood, at the dog park or along the Sacramento River, Eddie routinely runs into people who know and love him, enriching our lives and making our community a little more tight-knit.