Its amazing that an entire decade has past since the first day I met you. It literally is almost 10 years ago to the day that Dad brought you over and you excitedly bounded in the door. Panting with your tounge flying everywhere, I sat there thinking that I was now the proud new owner of the most slobbering dog ever.
It didn’t take long for me to love you with all my heart, goofy grin and all. I remember spending the first night on the couch with you laying on the floor right next to me. I had terrible nightmares that night for whatever reason, but by the time I woke up, you were on the couch next to me. It was like you knew that I needed comfort. Your energy was explosive in the first few years of your life. Chasing after that nub of a tail of yours, you earned your name. Spinning and running around the yard free from a leash.
You just knew that you were supposed to stay in the yard. Sometimes you would run off after a deer or a skunk, but you always came back. You learned tricks so fast I could swear you already knew them. You never learned to roll over though, being on your back always freaked you out for some reason. You snored so much and so loudly that I couldnt sleep next to you some nights.
Sometimes you tested my patience, forgetting the fact that you were housebroken from time to time. We have to buy a new carpet for the living room at some point soon, but honestly I never liked that carpet anyhow. When I went off to college, you were never far from my thoughts. I always wondered how you were doing and if you were still going nuts like you always did.
While I was away from you, it was like a part of me was missing. Whenever I came home, you were the first to greet me, sniffing cautiously at first. You would realize it was me and jump up on me nearly knocking me over. Oh could you jump! I had no idea how you could jump that high being such a little dog. You could jump onto just about
anything in the house.
Slowly though, your energy diminished a bit. You seemed more mature when I came home after I was finished with school. Your health problems started there. Your vision suddenly starting to go in the left eye. Pretty soon I was driving you to have surgery on it. I’ll never forget the ride home how groggy you were. I carried you to the passenger seat of my car and you just laid there. Somebody in front of me stopped short and I slammed on the brakes. Not having proper control of your body yet, you just slid onto the floor. I was so concerned that you had gotten hurt that I pulled over and checked on you. At that point, you looked at me with your good eye like “what’s the big deal” and jumped back onto the seat under your own power.
You always seemed to have things under control. At the end of your life, your body began to deteriorate rapidly. You lost 10 lbs in a matter of weeks. I remember my concern as I took you to the vet. The prognosis wasn’t good at that point. It crossed my mind that I might lose you, but I didn’t really prepare for it. How can you prepare to lose something you love so much?
Eventually you went completely blind and became completely insulin dependent. You went to the bathroom once every two hours, which made my nights interesting to say the least. It was at that point that we decided to let you rest. You weren’t going to get better is what the vet told us. “It was the kindest and gentlest thing to do.” It doesn’t make it much easier knowing that. Mom said you looked like you were sleeping, your ears were even sticking up.
You passed away yesterday, and a part of me died with you. I love you so much and I can’t wait to see you again! Until then, rest and be at peace.
Love,
| Taz |
| 21, Dec 2005 |
| Steve |