For Chewy Cutecute: The Toughest Dog in the World

 

Chewy Cutecute, so named because as a puppy she resembled Chewbacca, may have had a pretty name, but when it came to fighting off the dark angels who bring souls to the Bridge, no one was fiercer. 

Chewy belonged to a trio of Shih Tzus, who were living their best lives. Instantly recognizable to all their friends by their smiling faces, braided hair,  and triple-decker carriage,  they caught the hearts of everyone they met and never relinquished them. 

In 2018 I saw a list of dogs who were scheduled to become angels that year.  The list wasn’t absolute, and those on the list could evade it and stay with their parents if they had a strong will but would have to rage a hellish battle. It was not for the faint of heart. 

When I recognized Chewy’s name, I knew the dark angels would be in for the fight of their lives.  They decided to inflict her with an enlarged heart and then have the medication cause problems, leaving her with very little energy or appetite.  The situation looked dire, but a combination of Chewy’s strong will and dog prayers, which are the most powerful, healed her. While still inflicted with a heart disorder, she went back to living life to the fullest.

The dark angels retreated, but they mounted another attack within a few years, causing vision problems, blood in the urine, and breathing issues. Finally, the cute little dog, who the dark angels failed to take seriously, defeated them, and she stayed with her family.

    No dog can vanquish the evil ones alone, and Chewy had a mighty partner in her mom.  There was no time or money; she would not sacrifice to keep Chewy by her side. Instead, she tried every available treatment, from standard medicine to acupuncture to new age ideas.  Few moms could have done more, and her all-encompassing love gave Chewy a reason to live.

    The demons who separate loved knew when it came to Chewy that time was on their side.  Every day Chewy lost a little more of herself until she needed a blood transfusion. Sadly, her body showed signs of rejecting it.  Chewy’s mom knew that her baby would not choose to go to the Bridge no matter how much she was suffering, so her mom helped her cross over.

    When  Chewy was brought back home, after her soul went to the Bridge, her siblings QQ, Cherry, Koh Koh, and Kakak knew they had to be incredibly loving and caring for their broken-hearted mom while trying to navigate the cold world without their leader.  I know they have a painful road ahead of them, one they may never stop traveling,  but they will do so together, and it will make the treacherous path easier to navigate.  

    All her friends and some fans who rooted for Chewy, and the way she fought to stay with her mom, gathered at the Bridge to give her a much-deserved hero’s welcome.  Two of her predecessors, Patch and Peng, were with me to welcome her to her final forever home.  As Chewy crossed the Bridge, all the pain and illness were gone, and by the time she reached her siblings, she was back to being as energetic as five-year-old. 

    After a monsoon of tears fell created by the sorrow felt by friends and family, Chewy pledged to spend as much time in her mom’s dreams as a ghost, or a pretty flying creature,  to help her through the most difficult time of her life.  

    I am not betting against the girl who turned Cutecute into a synonym for kick ass.