May 5 1990 —- Feb. 23 2000
Black Chow Chow
I remember the add in the paper– Chow Chow puppies for sale.
I always wanted a Chow so I called the number listed.
The lady invited me over to look at the puppies (only boys left).
There came my soon to be Shadow. A little black puff ball!
He ran right over to me and that was all it took.
The lady told me I could pick him up on July 5 1990.
I couldn’t wait until that day! My boyfriend (now my husband) and
I went on July 5th to pick up my puppy.
I wanted to call him Ping-Pong because that’s what I thought of when
he ran over to me. He bounced just like a ping-pong ball on the table.
I met with resistance to that name and finally came up with Shadow
(Caryn’s 5 o’clock Shadow).
The lady bathed him put baby powder on him and tied a red
bow around his neck. He was soo cute! His first collar was way too big
I had to make more holes in it just so it would fit.
As he grew he would occasionally chew something up (like my glasses)
but he outgrew that.
He wasn’t around many people or too many other animals much so
he was a bit aggressive. He disliked children and people wearing sunglasses.
2 years later we got another dog 1/2 Chow 1/2 poodle (her name is Cheyenne).
They were the best of friends. 2 years after that we had a baby.
I was worried about how Shadow would act. It took about 3 weeks for
him to get over it and eventually you couldn’t pull him away
from our daughter. As the years passed be became sweeter and sweeter.
He was my Dude. He would take a bullet for me if need be.
Every where I went he went. He really truly was my Shadow.
When we found out he was sick I thought it was something fixable.
It wasn’t. We tried everything available to us.
Poor Dude couldn’t go to the bathroom– he was in danger of rupturing
his colon/rectum. He didn’t sleep the last week of his life.
The family was with him when we decided to put him to “sleep”.
I held him in my arms and cried my heart out!
His ashes lay beside my bed with his collar and his picture.
I still miss him so much and I hope that he forgives me
for making that awful decision.
I love you Dude–
forever and always
Mommy
| Shadow |