Cocoa Puff is our March 19, 2017 Pup of the Week

Tanner Bub and I have been friends for nearly ten years.  We were buds when we were young and mortal, and we still are.  Seven years ago Tanner went to Rainbow Bridge.  I had the great honor of walking him to the Bridge, where, with a soft kiss, we parted company.

Four years later he would meet me at the foot of that same Bridge when it was my turn to become immortal.  He was accompanied by his little brother Ruger, and his wife Sophie who had joined him before my arrival.  They helped me in adjusting to my new immortal life.

Ruger was selected by Tanner to take his spot in his mom’s heart.  It was not part of Tanner’s plans to have Ruger join him when Ruger was very young.  Ruger’s departure hurt his mom as much as Tanner’s passing had and Tanner promised that his mom would not feel that pain for a long time.

Tanner took particular interest in his sister Cocoa Puff.  Not many Angels who crossed seven years ago still have beloved siblings in the mortal world.  Tanner has personally flown prayers up the mountain to the Big Guy and bargained with him to keep Cocoa and his mom together.  Through every cough, bump, and seizure Cocoa knew her big brother was working to keep her with her mom.

But this past week Tanner had to bargain like he never had before.  Cocoa contracted an infection which attacked her left eye.  Poor Cocoa’s eye soon became red and swollen.  Her vision was gone.  She was in a terrible amount of pain.  The only option was surgery to remove the eye.  Such surgery is dangerous in the best of times, but with a senior dog, it is especially risky.

Tanner was very nervous the days before Cocoa’s surgery.  He spent a lot of time haggling with the Big Guy.  I know the Big Guy’s answer was not specific.  When we played with Tanner or just talked, Tanner’s words would fade away, or he would stop playing and stare towards the river, his sister and his mom were never far from his mind.

On the mortal side, Cocoa was more than willing to lose an eye to stay with her mom.  She would give all her senses to be with her, to continue to give comfort.  She is brave and strong.  She knew if she were given a chance, just the slimmest of chances, she would stay with her mom.  During the surgery, thanks to the doctor’s skilled hands, on Tanner persistence, Cocoa lost her eye, but regained her health, and stayed with her mom.

Cocoa is back home recovering, Tanner is a lot less nervous, their mom is very relieved, and Ruger wants me to throw him a ball.  

For a human, the loss of an eye can be devastating, for Cocoa it is a small price to pay to stay with her mom.

With Tanner on her side, we believe Cocoa will be there for many more years.

Pup of the Week: Cocoa Puff

I am happy to report, as a captain of the Night’s Watch, the angels who try to keep mortal dogs from passing to the immortal side, that we have had no friends breach the wall this week.

Next to me on the Watch are Tanner Bub and Ruger Ru:  Brothers who never stepped paw together on the mortal side.  Ruger came to live with Tanner’s family after Tanner passed to the Bridge.  Sadly, Ruger was given only a few precious heartbeats and came to the Bridge much too early.  Despite not meeting until both were angels Tanner and Ruger are as close as brothers can be.

Like all brothers they worry about their family.  Recently they have become concerned about their sister Cocoa Puff.  To Tanner she was the annoying little sister who grew up to be a beloved ally; to Ruger she was the big sister who taught him how the be a family member.

Tanner Bub and Ruger Ru are angels.  They never age and they never change (although we angels can change our appearance to look like any age in our time line like a mortal person changes clothes.)

Thier sister Cocoa, still in her mortal coil, is aging.  Age gives gifts to the young and steals gifts to the old.  Recently age has been rapidly taking from Cocoa.  

Cocoa has slowed down, she has seizures, and now age has robbed her of her eyesight.  But age has not robbed Cocoa of her strength and dignity.  

We dogs are much better at adapting to the loss of eyesight than humans. Our other senses are superior to sight.  Our ears hear sounds that no human could ever notice.  Our sense of smell is a much more reliable guidance system than our eyes.  If we lost our sense of taste life hardly would be worthy living.  But loss of sight we can overcome.

Especially with moms like Cocoa’s Mom Aunt Trudee.  We have watched her be knocked down:  Losing Tanner, losing Ruger, conquering cancer, dealing with family strife, and now Cocoa losing her vision, and she always bounces back.  She will do whatever it takes to make sure that Cocoa is safe and has clear and consistent paths throughout the house.

Plus she will stay with Cocoa:  To make sure Cocoa hears her lovely voice, smells her delightful smell, tastes her hands with soft licks.

We dogs don’t need vision.  We really don’t need taste or smell either.  The only sense we need is love.  Every dog in a shelter would trade their love, their taste, their sense of smell for love.

Cocoa will be just fine because she has a life filled with love.