Tank was our 2014 story of the year

Frank Touby — 

It seems as if hundreds of people living near or visiting St. Lawrence Market in the past 10 years were touched by charismatic street-newspaper vendor Danny Murphy. Along with his faithful and almost equally popular black Labrador retriever named Tank, Danny established a nook off the sidewalk just west of the LCBO store on Front Street.

Tank would spend his days stretched on the concrete beside Danny as the man he adored chatted with his “customers” who bought his newspaper, mostly for much more than the price tag. Many would toss Tank a treat of some sort, ranging from the remains of a burger or hotdog or a wrap or fries or even some dog treats many people carry with them.

Tank wasn’t picky. If it was chewable, he’d happily gulp it down. It it wasn’t chewable, he’d try to munch it into chewability.

Tank had a best friend named Monty, an ear-dragging basset hound with a deep voice and a lovable personality owned by Danny’s dear friend in the past couple of years, Kevin Scrimshaw. Kevin is a sort of dog-whisperer. He has a three of his own—his housing limit—and often looks after a few others on an occasional basis for friends and neighbours.

Kevin used to be a sailor on merchant vessels and he, Danny and a few other dogs including Tank would take frequent jaunts to Cherry Beach where Tank and maybe a few others would dip into the lake. Tank is especially fond of water when it’s beneath and around him.

Tank had been badly treated as a pup by a previous owner before Danny. He was almost never let out of the small apartment where his first owner lived, says Kevin.

When Danny adopted him a few years later, Tank was shell-shocked and half-crazed. He saw Danny as his saviour and was as loyal a dog as one could imagine or want.

Tank also, in the two years they knew each other, spent many days with Kevin and Monty, getting a break from the hard sidewalk while Danny talked to his many friends and sold his copies of Outreach which many purchasers never even took with them.

It was a way of helping Danny augment his pension and a way Danny could give back in his special, lovable manner that so interested and entranced people.

Tank became a big, special part of that scene.

But Tank was to endure another trauma in his short life. On Sept. 16, Danny died of causes we still don’t know to this day, but it wasn’t a suspicious death.

Tank was severely traumautized. He was with Danny’s body overnight and for many hours until authorities were notified by neighbours. When Tank came out he was literally weeping and wailing, neighbours said.

Then it was 10 days in Animal Services, the statutory requirement in such events. Kevin asked us if we could take him since he couldn’t. So at the very hour when Tank was available for release, Paulette and Kevin were waiting at Animal Services.

We brought him home, but he was so traumatized by the entire ordeal that we had him stay at first with Kevin to somewhat stabilize him.

He would visit us, but go back with Kevin.

It was, fittingly, on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the ecology on Oct. 4, 2014, that Tank moved into our home joining Paulette, Daisy and me, right across the street from Where Kevin and Monty live.

He has accommodated to his new life. He knows he’s our dog now and follows me everywhere he can. He no longer tries to go with Kevin and his pack when we meet in the local “dog park.”

Daisy wasn’t obviously affected by the new family member, but she did chew the wooden baseboard in a bedroom. So we’re paying more attention to her. She was such an easy dog.

Tank is such a needy dog right now, but he’s getting calmer.

He really is a beautiful sleek, black guy.

At first he was just attached to me. Now Paulette and I are almost equal in Tank’s dark brown eyes.