46 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} calling all dogs If you’ve got quirky habits or a funny tale (or tail) to tell, email hello@punchmonthly.com for a chance to share a page from your Diary of a Dog in PUNCH. Hello there! I’m Rusty, a senior German Shepherd from Menlo Park. Fifteen years ago, my human brothers, Sohrab and Siavash, picked me out from a litter of three when I was just a pup— and I’ve been happily living with my family ever since. In my heyday, I kept a rigorous routine. When I wasn’t in police training, running around and jumping over tall fences, I assisted in driving the boys to and from every soccer and basketball practice. Years later, when Sohrab and Siavash left for college, I was inconsolable. Realizing I needed a morale boost, my mom brought me to her dental office to see what was going on over there. rusty DIARY OF A DOG photography by ROBB MOST Guess what? I perked right up. Now, every morning, I get up, have breakfast and jump in the car—these days, with some help—and work all day in the dental office. I really like having a job to do. If the office manager is at the back, I fill in, and when a patient comes, I let my mom know with a single, polite bark. Even the UPS guy knows me and hollers, “Hey Rusty!” whenever he delivers a package. On my lunch break, I enjoy treats like apples, bell peppers, Trader Joe’s gingersnap cookies and one hardboiled egg a week, which the vet gives me permission to eat in my golden years. I didn’t expect to have this much fun with my second career!
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