Maverick is the March 10, 2018 Pup of the Week

During the last six months of Maverick's mortal life, his dad posted on Facebook that Maverick was more than a dog to him.

I know this made Maverick feel warm inside.  We dogs always want more. More food, more treats more play time, more walks.  But the most more we want is to be more than a dog to be part of the family, a child, a brother or a sister.  Maverick was definitely more.

Late in life, we want more heartbeats.  We are willing the trade for them. Please take our sight!  How many more days will that give us? Freedom from seizures?  Take it. We can live with seizures as long as it gives us a few more days.  Even the heart itself can be sacrificed. Congestive heart failure? Bring it on if it will make this a weak heartbeat longer.

It becomes like an insane game of strip poker.  Every time the ante is due we strip off another body part so we can play through the next hand. We know we'll never win it back.  But the game is everything to us.

Thus begins the struggle between dog and human.  Dogs are willing to suffer any amount to stay. Humans can't bear to see us suffer.  Sometimes it works out perfectly, and we pass away at home. But often parents can no longer see us so diminished and they make an appointment to set us free.

Maverick had sacrificed so much to get more heartbeats. He had congestive heart failure, seizures, and lost his sight. The little boy who trailed his dad around the house, who was his constant companion, who loved to go on trips with him, had one more journey to make alone.

All the friends Maverick had made, in person and online, and had preceded him to the Bridge, were waiting for him to pass over.  But he didn't appear. Maverick had his own plan. In a remarkable display of ghosting, especially for one who just passed, Maverick appeared in his dad's car just as he and Maverick’s mortal remains arrived at the crematorium.  His teary-eyed Dad parked the car and got out. He reached into the back seat for the body. As he did Maverick, with all the might his little soul could muster slammed his spirit onto his former body.

It fell out of the container his father had made especially for the trip and got stuck under the seats.  His father laughed as he tried to wrestle his best friends remains from where they were lodged. Mischievous Maverick had played his last trick.

He joined us shortly after. His father would be happy to see him young again free from all the disabilities that slowed him later in life.  After getting sworn in and given proper greetings Maverick told us the trick he played on his dad. We roared with laughter.

Of course Maverick quickly picked up how to visit his dad.  I know his papa misses the little soul who accompanied him everywhere and was always trailing behind him.  Even though he can't see him Maverick is still walking right behind him.

There are some things not even the River of Life can stop.