{"id":3382,"date":"2020-07-08T22:41:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-08T22:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/?p=3382"},"modified":"2020-07-16T15:08:38","modified_gmt":"2020-07-16T15:08:38","slug":"rest-in-purpose-ruby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/rest-in-purpose-ruby\/","title":{"rendered":"Rest in Purpose, Ruby"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This is a sad one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Ruby and Joe at Powell&#8217;s Books in January, 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ruby was the medical alert dog for Microcosm founder and CEO Joe Biel from February, 2012 to June, 2020. She was a constant presence in our office and at events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>At a reading at WhyNot Fest in Minot, North Dakota<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Her service dog training meant she was skilled at making herself invisible most of the time, often sleeping curled up next to Joe&#8217;s desk or under the table at a convention or a restaurant. Even so, she made friends everywhere she went, when she ventured out at Joe&#8217;s side, or to occasionally alert someone passing by that their blood sugar was dropping (she did this by poking their leg with her nose). When she walked by one of Portland&#8217;s many brunch spots, she would often go down the line of people waiting, alerting them all. One day, a couple was fighting on the street and she ran up to alert them. She wanted to help everyone. Her intelligence and loyalty were astounding. Once she had met someone, she considered them part of her pack forever,&nbsp;even when meeting them again years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Long convention hours meant lots of napping on the job.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Along with her remarkable skill at detection, she was also trained for public access, which meant she could handle herself gracefully in situations, like a grocery store, restaurant, airplane, or train, that would challenge even a well-trained pet dog. She never learned to pedal her own bike, but we celebrated her bikeyness a couple of years ago with this <a href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/buttons\/11633\">fanciful enamel pin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Just another daily commute.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to her unique assistance in managing his disability, Joe was able to lead Microcosm out of the recession, growing us from a small press to a midlist publisher and wholesaler, and more important, to begin to regain his health and safely live a full, active life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Joe, Ruby, and Elly at the Microcosm office. Photo by Laura Stanfill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ruby loved to travel everywhere with Joe by train, plane, and bicycle. Food was her primary motivation. And she loved people; her training taught her to be standoffish when she was wearing her service dog vest, but in her off-hours she loved nothing more than a belly rub or a scratch behind the ears. And even when working, she knew when someone was talking about her and perked up with great interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Ruby and Joe walking in Detroit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>She passed away on Tuesday, June 23rd, just hours before&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/zines\/9453\" target=\"_blank\">her first book,&nbsp;<em>Do Not Pet<\/em><\/a>, arrived from the printer. She is dearly missed by all who knew and admired her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/zines\/9453\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ruby&#8217;s trainer told us that she was the rare dog who found her purpose.  In her honor, we&#8217;re continuing to center our own meaning and purpose every day. We hope that her legacy will outlive her, educating people about the amazing work of service animals in opening up the world to people with many kinds of disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>In Downtown LA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is a sad one. Ruby was the medical alert dog for Microcosm founder and CEO Joe Biel from February, 2012 to June, 2020. She was a constant presence in our office and at events. Her service dog training meant she was skilled at making herself invisible most of the time, often sleeping curled up&#8230;  <a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/rest-in-purpose-ruby\/\" title=\"Read Rest in Purpose, Ruby\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogifesto"],"my_excerpt":"<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This is a sad one. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":3389,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3389\"\/><figcaption>Ruby and Joe at Powell's Books in January, 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ruby was the medical alert dog for Microcosm founder and CEO Joe Biel from February, 2012 to June, 2020. She was a constant presence in our office and at events. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":3393,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3393\"\/><figcaption>At a reading at WhyNot Fest in Minot, North Dakota<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Her service dog training meant she was skilled at making herself invisible most of the time, often sleeping curled up next to Joe's desk or under the table at a convention or a restaurant. Even so, she made friends everywhere she went, when she ventured out at Joe's side, or to occasionally alert someone passing by that their blood sugar was dropping (she did this by poking their leg with her nose). When she walked by one of Portland's many brunch spots, she would often go down the line of people waiting, alerting them all. One day, a couple was fighting on the street and she ran up to alert them. She wanted to help everyone. Her intelligence and loyalty were astounding. Once she had met someone, she considered them part of her pack forever,&nbsp;even when meeting them again years later.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":3396,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3396\"\/><figcaption>Long convention hours meant lots of napping on the job.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Along with her remarkable skill at detection, she was also trained for public access, which meant she could handle herself gracefully in situations, like a grocery store, restaurant, airplane, or train, that would challenge even a well-trained pet dog. She never learned to pedal her own bike, but we celebrated her bikeyness a couple of years ago with this <a href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/buttons\/11633\">fanciful enamel pin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":3392,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3392\"\/><figcaption>Just another daily commute.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Thanks to her unique assistance in managing his disability, Joe was able to lead Microcosm out of the recession, growing us from a small press to a midlist publisher and wholesaler, and more important, to begin to regain his health and safely live a full, active life.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":3397,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3397\"\/><figcaption>Joe, Ruby, and Elly at the Microcosm office. Photo by Laura Stanfill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ruby loved to travel everywhere with Joe by train, plane, and bicycle. Food was her primary motivation. And she loved people; her training taught her to be standoffish when she was wearing her service dog vest, but in her off-hours she loved nothing more than a belly rub or a scratch behind the ears. And even when working, she knew when someone was talking about her and perked up with great interest.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":3398,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3398\"\/><figcaption>Ruby and Joe walking in Detroit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>She passed away on Tuesday, June 23rd, just hours before&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/zines\/9453\" target=\"_blank\">her first book,&nbsp;<em>Do Not Pet<\/em><\/a>, arrived from the printer. She is dearly missed by all who knew and admired her. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":3391,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/zines\/9453\"><img src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3391\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ruby's trainer told us that she was the rare dog who found her purpose.  In her honor, we're continuing to center our own meaning and purpose every day. We hope that her legacy will outlive her, educating people about the amazing work of service animals in opening up the world to people with many kinds of disabilities.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":3394,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3394\"\/><figcaption>In Downtown LA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->","my_excerpt_rendered":"\n<p>This is a sad one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-powells-peoplesguide-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Ruby and Joe at Powell&#8217;s Books in January, 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ruby was the medical alert dog for Microcosm founder and CEO Joe Biel from February, 2012 to June, 2020. She was a constant presence in our office and at events. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-minot-reading-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>At a reading at WhyNot Fest in Minot, North Dakota<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Her service dog training meant she was skilled at making herself invisible most of the time, often sleeping curled up next to Joe&#8217;s desk or under the table at a convention or a restaurant. Even so, she made friends everywhere she went, when she ventured out at Joe&#8217;s side, or to occasionally alert someone passing by that their blood sugar was dropping (she did this by poking their leg with her nose). When she walked by one of Portland&#8217;s many brunch spots, she would often go down the line of people waiting, alerting them all. One day, a couple was fighting on the street and she ran up to alert them. She wanted to help everyone. Her intelligence and loyalty were astounding. Once she had met someone, she considered them part of her pack forever,&nbsp;even when meeting them again years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-naps-joe-works-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Long convention hours meant lots of napping on the job.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Along with her remarkable skill at detection, she was also trained for public access, which meant she could handle herself gracefully in situations, like a grocery store, restaurant, airplane, or train, that would challenge even a well-trained pet dog. She never learned to pedal her own bike, but we celebrated her bikeyness a couple of years ago with this <a href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/buttons\/11633\">fanciful enamel pin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-bike-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Just another daily commute.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to her unique assistance in managing his disability, Joe was able to lead Microcosm out of the recession, growing us from a small press to a midlist publisher and wholesaler, and more important, to begin to regain his health and safely live a full, active life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/joe-ruby-elly-microcosm-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Joe, Ruby, and Elly at the Microcosm office. Photo by Laura Stanfill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ruby loved to travel everywhere with Joe by train, plane, and bicycle. Food was her primary motivation. And she loved people; her training taught her to be standoffish when she was wearing her service dog vest, but in her off-hours she loved nothing more than a belly rub or a scratch behind the ears. And even when working, she knew when someone was talking about her and perked up with great interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-joe-detroit-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Ruby and Joe walking in Detroit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>She passed away on Tuesday, June 23rd, just hours before&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/zines\/9453\" target=\"_blank\">her first book,&nbsp;<em>Do Not Pet<\/em><\/a>, arrived from the printer. She is dearly missed by all who knew and admired her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/catalog\/zines\/9453\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/donotpet-cov-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ruby&#8217;s trainer told us that she was the rare dog who found her purpose.  In her honor, we&#8217;re continuing to center our own meaning and purpose every day. We hope that her legacy will outlive her, educating people about the amazing work of service animals in opening up the world to people with many kinds of disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ruby-angel-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>In Downtown LA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3382"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3405,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3382\/revisions\/3405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microcosmpublishing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}