Recently,
we put down our wonderful, loving American Bulldog, Glory. She was eleven and had cancer. She'd made it a long time, with hip dysplasia, surgeries for torn ligaments, skin allergies and tumors. We were lucky to have her as long as we did. We miss her terribly.
So here it is--another sad dog
story, another story about how much we love our dogs. I guess those
stories are so common because they are so true. We all know what is
wonderful about our dogs, how unconditionally they love us, how they
comfort us no matter what, how loyal, how faithful. It has been written
on tear-soaked papers and keyboards about a million times. So, indulge
me as I make it a million and one.
My
dad used to say that when he got out of the Air Force, he got “a horse,
a dog and a pick-up truck” and he had one ever since. I can't imagine my life without a dog in it. We love our dogs
and we all learn lessons from living with them. By living with dogs
and other pets, we live the circle of life. We see them from the
beginning to the very, bitter end. It’s a wonderful, painful gift to
watch the animal you’ve loved her entire life take her last breath. We
learn compassion, loyalty, patience, and unconditional love with our
pets. Pets are a commitment to a loving relationship.
One
of the beauties of dogs is the universality of their loyal, loving
companionship. Dog stories are a common ground for strangers to share.
There are very few people I know who have not loved a dog in their
lives. Still, within the universal nature of the love of a dog, there
are unique tendencies and unique lessons from each dog. There are
energetic dogs, couch-potato dogs, affectionate dogs, aloof dogs,
naughty dogs, well-behaved dogs, there are dogs loved by all kinds of
people. Here are some of our memories from our Knucklehead, Glory.
To our Glory,
who
was our knucklehead and who always knew the best, smelliest places to
roll. Who was our companion at horse shows, on walks and on many road
trips. Who snored like a saw all night long. Who loved to lie in the
sun until she panted and panted. Who demanded politely to be
petted--once you started, you couldn’t stop. Who ate pears, apples,
bananas, carrots and grain out of horse buckets. Who loved to lie on
the floor and be your pillow. Who always hid in the corner when Max did
something wrong, to make sure we didn’t blame her. Who showed us the
meaning of loyalty, faithfulness, and unconditional love.
We love you!
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