One of the hardest parts of being away from home is that you cannot be for your family members when they are going through a tough event. I’ve mentioned before that my wife rescues dogs – it is her passion to save them from bad owners and give them good lives. I love dogs too, but my wife has a much bigger heart.
Gonzo came to us about three years ago I think. He was old then. Someone had thrown him away, and he ended up at a kill shelter. The man who actually gassed the dogs at the kill shelter couldn’t find it in his heart to put the little guy down, so he made a phone call. Eventually Gonzo ended up with us, and there he stayed until yesterday, when his life came to its end.
Gonzo was a little guy with no teeth and a messed up spine. His back legs didn’t work right but he always displayed plenty of spirit. He got along pretty well up until recently even though walking was a tough battle for him due to years of neglect and mistreatment. My wife kept him alive and happy. He doted on her and she on him. Gonzo slept comfortably in a nest of pillows on our bed in his last years.
Yesterday, he slipped out of the world. His health had been declining, and when I was home on R&R I knew I probably wouldn’t ever see him again. I’m terribly sorry I couldn’t be there with you Barb. I’m sorry I couldn’t be with Gonzo at the end, to give him a final ear rub as he went into the great unknown. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to give you a hug. I know you are in pain right now. I know your heart hurts.
Gonzo brought many smiles to your face, and to mine. I’ll always remember him hobbling around outside our house in the mountains, enjoying the bright sunshine and tasting the air with his tongue. He was perfectly content as long as he could see you. You rescued him and gave him a comfortable, loving existence in his last few years. He gave so much back to both of us. I’ll miss him.