The Grande Dame Of The Dog Park

Drew Harwell: DUNEDIN — Big Bruce Simmons was a deputy at the Pinellas County jail.

Little Jean Lea was all of 5-foot-2.

They were strangers then, four years back, just watching their dogs run at the Happy Tails Dog Park.

Bruce had brought his pug Brutus; Jean, her beagle Bill. When the dogs met, Brutus, as he often did, sprinted behind Bill and began to hump.

This could have been awkward, especially for Jean, a retiree in her 80s with a pageboy cut of bone-white hair.

Bruce said, "Guess I shouldn't have left my bedroom door open."

And Jean said, "Why? He's not masturbating."

And Bruce said, "Damn."

He had found a friend.