Bo is our June 26, 2011 pup of the week

One night I was up late with Daddy after watching a hockey game.  He was drinking beer, I was nursing my last Foleytini.  There was a comedian on the television.  He said this of a man's life:  "You graduate school, you get a good job, you meet a great girl, you fall in love, you marry her, buy a wonderful house, have kids, and after 50 years she dies and you are alone.  And that's the best case scenario."

I think for many of us lucky house dogs life is so much better than for humans.  We get brought into a wonderful, warm home.  We get free food, free health care, a warm, soft place to eat and more love than one heart can hold.  Then we start to feel sick, our parents let us go to sleep, we graduate to the Bridge, where we play with our friends and wait for Mommy and Daddy to arrive.  Why do people say, in negative terms, that it is a dogs life?   While I have cultivated a reputation as a curmudgeon I must admit a dog's life is pretty sweet.

I think a dog owner's life is very much like a man's life.  You find the perfect dog, give them a good home, bask in their love, and then between ten and fifteen years later they go to the Bridge and that is the best case scenario.

Such is what happened to our friend Aunt Lea and her spouse Aunt Lea's Fellow.  This week Aunt Lea's Fellow found out that his heart dog, the dog whose heart beats as one with it's parent, Bo, was suffering from lymphoma, and would be leaving for the bridge before the end of the year.  While her pack becomes the first family to be honored as Pups of the Week in consecutive weeks, there will be no celebrating in their family this week. 

We first learned on Thursday that Bo had some growths on his body and labored breathing.  The Brigade started a cycle of positive thoughts and prayers to keep Bo healthy.   But sometimes not even this is enough.  We got the very sad news Saturday afternoon. 

First we would like to address Bo.  You may not have been as vocal as Sandy on this site but we all love you very much.  We all know we have to go to the Bridge someday.   We are not going to give up on you, we will pray for a miracle, and  try to take a bit of your pain so you don't suffer.  You are all our brudders.  We may talk more to Sandy but all our comments of love include you.  We wish you pain free days, and a heart filled with love.

We promise, with all our hearts, to take care of your parents.  It is going to be very hard on them.  We will be there for them if they want to cry, to tell stories about you, or need a paw to cry on.  We'll make sure our humans never stray too far from your Mom on the Humanbook.  It takes a lot to let a pet go to the Bridge but we promise you that your parents will have an entire Brigade behind them, and so will your pup siblings.  I know sometimes it may not seem like it but they really love you and your leaving is going to be hard on them.  If they ever need someone to cuddle with in their dreams we will be there.

Now I have a question for you.  It's not the kind of question you need to answer.  It's the kind of question we already know the answer to.  Where did Nikki come from?  The answer is easy isn't it Bo?    You  brought Nikki to your parents.  You knew you weren't feeling right.  And you knew Mommy and Daddy would need something to distract them during your illness.  So you prayed to the Bridge Angels to send something to ease their pain.  And they sent Nikii.   What a perfect gift.

But Nikki could never replace you Bo.  There is part of your parents heart, of all our hearts, that is reserved for you Bo.  Always will be.  Nikki has his spot, and you will always have yours. 

We wish we had let you know all of this before now Bo.  We take our friends for granted and then one day we realize we didn't tell them how much they meant to us.  You meant the world to us Bo and we will never turn our backs on you, your family, or your siblings.  Thank you for the gift of Nikki.  And we will thank the bridge angels for each day we get with you.