Oyet Mark rarely smiled when he was selected as one of the first Comfort Dog Project guardians in January 2014. He didn’t seem to like people, never made eye contact, and had a hard exterior. Half of Mark’s 40 years in this world had been consumed by the terrible war in Northern Uganda. First forced to serve in the government military, Mark was later abducted by the rebel forces and then forced to serve in the rebel army. What he saw and participated in during the war was so terrible that he came back to his village crippled by the trauma. He suffered from flashbacks, nightmares, and hyper-vigilence. To cope, he took alcohol whenever he could get it.
His wife and son had been killed during the war, and Mark came home to nothing but his own despair and extreme poverty. Anyone would have lost hope. Anyone would have avoided eye contact and developed a hard shell.
The BIG FIX gave Mark a big tan male dog who was equally stoic and had been left to fend for himself on the streets of Gulu.
His wife and son had been killed during the war, and Mark came home to nothing but his own despair and extreme poverty. Anyone would have lost hope. Anyone would have avoided eye contact and developed a hard shell.
The BIG FIX gave Mark a big tan male dog who was equally stoic and had been left to fend for himself on the streets of Gulu.
Two rejects who were just surviving and trying to get through the day.
Mark named the dog Smart. As he began our first Comfort Dog class in 2014, Mark and Smart learned to communicate and understand one another. Smart quickly learned sit, stay, come, and fetch. When we worked on disk play with the dogs, and Smart was the first to retrieve, we saw Oyet Mark smile for the first time.
After completing our 20-week training program and passing a certification test, Mark proudly received his graduation certificate from the village leader and Smart’s collar was adorned with a Gwok Ma Pire Tek (“Very Important Dog”) ID tag.
The Comfort Dog Project follows its dog-guardian teams and holds regular meetings. For the next four years, Mark and Smart were inseparable. Where Mark went, Smart followed like a shadow. Mark still didn’t talk to people much, but he talked to Smart constantly. And Smart listened. Mark eventually got married again, but after some time, his wife left him. He was again devastated, but survived again because of Smart.
In 2018, Mark suddenly fell ill and he died shortly thereafter. The assessment was that he had suffered a fatal heart attack.
How unfair it seemed that, after such a difficult life, Mark only got to have 4 years with his dog Smart, but those 4 years were precious ones. As the happiness and sadness of life washed over Mark, he had come to know that Smart was always there to pick him up, help him carry on, and to be his reason for getting up in the morning.
After he died, more than 30 Comfort Dog Project guardians and BIG FIX staff members came to sit with the family in mourning. Mark had become a beloved friend, a kind son, and a productive community member. That happened because of a plain tan dog who had been rescued from the streets and who no one had wanted.
After Mark’s death, Smart was monitored closely and eventually the family asked BIG FIX Uganda to take him in. Smart had become very ill with tick fever, and was deeply depressed. Thanks to the kindness of a Comfort Dog Project sponsor, Tracey, Smart spent many months recovering and was eventually re-homed with Lucy, another war trauma survivor who adores him. Smart has maintained his stoic demeanor but he is happy again.
Mark named the dog Smart. As he began our first Comfort Dog class in 2014, Mark and Smart learned to communicate and understand one another. Smart quickly learned sit, stay, come, and fetch. When we worked on disk play with the dogs, and Smart was the first to retrieve, we saw Oyet Mark smile for the first time.
After completing our 20-week training program and passing a certification test, Mark proudly received his graduation certificate from the village leader and Smart’s collar was adorned with a Gwok Ma Pire Tek (“Very Important Dog”) ID tag.
The Comfort Dog Project follows its dog-guardian teams and holds regular meetings. For the next four years, Mark and Smart were inseparable. Where Mark went, Smart followed like a shadow. Mark still didn’t talk to people much, but he talked to Smart constantly. And Smart listened. Mark eventually got married again, but after some time, his wife left him. He was again devastated, but survived again because of Smart.
In 2018, Mark suddenly fell ill and he died shortly thereafter. The assessment was that he had suffered a fatal heart attack.
How unfair it seemed that, after such a difficult life, Mark only got to have 4 years with his dog Smart, but those 4 years were precious ones. As the happiness and sadness of life washed over Mark, he had come to know that Smart was always there to pick him up, help him carry on, and to be his reason for getting up in the morning.
After he died, more than 30 Comfort Dog Project guardians and BIG FIX staff members came to sit with the family in mourning. Mark had become a beloved friend, a kind son, and a productive community member. That happened because of a plain tan dog who had been rescued from the streets and who no one had wanted.
After Mark’s death, Smart was monitored closely and eventually the family asked BIG FIX Uganda to take him in. Smart had become very ill with tick fever, and was deeply depressed. Thanks to the kindness of a Comfort Dog Project sponsor, Tracey, Smart spent many months recovering and was eventually re-homed with Lucy, another war trauma survivor who adores him. Smart has maintained his stoic demeanor but he is happy again.