I got Billy when I was just five years old, I raised him from a tiny puppy. His mother, brothers and sisters were left abaondonded in their owner’s yard. The neighbor took it upon herself to find homes for them, but was going to take them all to the shelther soon. I was very young at the time, but I remember meeting Billy’s mother, she came out to the car and gave me a kiss. A few moments later, the woman brought out the runt of the litter…a tiny black and white ball of fur with a curly pig tail.
On the way home, I sang him the song “Billy Boy”, which is what he’s named after. When the vet asked me if I spelled his name with a “y” or an “ie”, I told him neither…it was spelled with a “b”! I can remember that so well. The day that he came into my life was the best, I had found my soul mate, and I will always, always love him forerver.
I’ve had my baby since I was five years old, I am now 21, and I lost him just last week at the age of 17. I’ve been having a very hard time, he was and always will be my lifetime dog, my special baby. Billy was always there for me, and I feel that he still is, always will be. He was a very sweet natured, gentle dog, but what a voice he had. We could have barking/woofing conversations for hours on end, and he had the most unique “a-whoo-whoo-whoo-oof-oof”. We shared everything, long walks in the forest, runs through the fields, snacks, snuggles, kisses and so much more. I named him after the song “Billy Boy”, which I sang to him as we brought him home for the first time, and I sang to him after he had left, holding his paw tightly in my hand.
I keep thinking of the good times, and I have many a wonderful photograph. Billy’s best dog friend, Keechi, was also very close to him. They look almost like siblings, and made the perfect team. I’m doing my best to comfort her right now. She was his “princess pretty tummy” and they were the best of friends. Billy was unusual, I think he was a basenji/border collie/beagle mix, and he had the most adorable curly pig tail (which we once entered him in a tail wagging contest for, and he just let it droop…they had no treats for him, after all!). He knew how to spell the word “cheese”, all it took was the first few letters “C-H-E-“, and he came running, ears perked and curly tail wagging, “-E-S-E”…”cheese!”.
I remember the time he accidentally found a nest of muskrats, he had so much fun startling them from the reeds (of course we never meant any harm to come to the muskrats, it was just playful fun). I was a very young child at the time and was always going off on little adventures with him like this (always been a nature person). We’d have picnics at the park, laying and rolling in the grass or just lounging under the shade of a giant pine tree. The time we saw the coyote together, if not for Billy I would’ve missed it altogether…he stood up on his hind legs and stared right at the river, where a coyote was trotting along the shoreline. The river is a special place I like to go now that reminds me of our times together, happy times.
As he grew sick with lung and heart conditions, and was put on medications, I stayed home with him a lot. He would have fainting spells/seizures and I feared leaving him alone. Our walks were few these past few months, because too much activity could upset his condition, but I was always here with him, he was always with me. We used to have a cat that pretty much raised all our animals, dogs and cats alike, and from him I think Billy learned some odd feline like behavior. He would lounge on the back of the couch like the cats, and he grew very close to our one cat, Milo, who was always very timid and nervous. Billy was the only one of our animals who was really nice to Milo, whom we also lost recently…and who sat with Billy after he had left, just staring and snuggling with him. I think Milo knew, and I think he was telling Billy that he was coming with him soon.
Billy will always be my lifetime dog, my soul mate, my special baby. I will never love another living being as much or in the same way as I love him. We grew up together, we shared so much and he was always loyal and loving. I used to sing him a little tune, “Him’s my special boy, yes him is”, and he is…always. I kept his tag, and we sent photographic memories, toys and pieces of each of my family’s hair (human and animal alike) with him. I want to know he’s always there with me, in a sense…and I want to share his story with the world. My best friend in the entire universe.
To Billy, may you run free over the rainbow,
I love you always and forever.
| Billy |
| Autumn |