Culture
Cocoa & Radio
The unwavering bond between a man and his dog. By Danny Lemos
Photo by Matt Hornick
I met Cocoa when he was two. His face, brown on the right side, white on the other like a perfect phantom mask, he A neighbor called came over the fence to lick my face. me Saint Francis My new boyfriend, Scott, introduced us and the dog of Assisi, known as became my constant companion. I trained him off leash and he spent the next eight years at my left heel, looking the patron saint of up at me every 20 seconds or so for direction and approval. animals. We became fixtures at the West Hollywood Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf where I would write every morning. We were a tight fit in my 400 square foot apartment which included my 6-foot-4-inch partner, myself, a 100-pound Labrador and a 10-pound cat. Cocoa was the most excited when we moved to Inglewood. The squirrels, rabbits and other dogs became Cocoa’s playmates, though the squirrels weren’t down for it as much as the other dogs. His bark, “Ah-roo-roo-roo!,” became our rally cry. But he was more than just my companion. For five years during the recession, when I wasn’t working, he was my relief from anxiety. When life would weigh heavy, I would bury my nose in his fur and cling to the planet, hoping to make it another day. Sometimes when
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