a girl's best friend

growing up we had a black lab/springer spaniel cross named gus. he may have belonged to the whole family but he was 'my dog'. when his floppy springer ears would repeatedly get infected from swimming i was the one who cleaned them. i was the one who tried to teach him to do 'his business' out in the woods and not in the yard (that's another story entirely). i was also the one whom he marked his territory on (more than one time, mind you). but he was my dog and i adored him.


then i went off to college and one of the hardest things about school was not having pets around. i was always happy to see his wagging tail on weekend trips home. but by my sophomore year he was old and arthritic. and then the unthinkable happened, my parents got a puppy. the most adorable golden retriever mix puppy you ever did see and i cried. 'we already have a dog, why did you get another?' this is not a good question though, it's like asking - 'you already have a child, why are you pregnant again?' well, maybe not exactly the same but you get my point. there was another dog and i worried about my gus as he was already becoming more despondent.

just before thanksgiving that year my mom called and let me know he was not doing well. thanksgiving eve i made it home and the first place i went was to the shop building to see my beloved dog. he was curled up in a stiff ball and the barn cat was out there snuggling beside him. he lifted his head to acknowledge me and let me pet his head and hug him, and i cried.

the next morning he was gone, i couldn't find him. as i searched my parents' property i finally found his body lying next to the pond in the ravine behind the house. again i sobbed, big tears.

as we buried him that morning i was also thankful. he had waited for me to come home from school and say my last goodbye.

and that is why i can never tell that story without tears. animals are really something.