Today I had to say goodbye to my bestest boy. Donāt get me wrong, all my dogs are the best. (And all of your dogs are the best too.) But Jimmy was special. He had a pure heart, a sparkle in his eye. People always gravitated towards him and wanted to say hello and give him a pet. And he always had a kiss and a tail wag for them return. Even on his last days, he was meeting strangers with a sweet hello.
I rescued him from the Baldwin Park shelter at three months old. He had a broken femur and the cold hearted kennel supervisor told me not to bother with him because the surgery would be too expensive. Needless to say I ignored that ill advice. He spent the next 10 years leading a truly blessed life with me. He went on hikes, he ran on the beach, he always enjoyed a three day weekend at a nice hotelā¦ His favorite food was pizza. He never met a person or a dog he didnāt like, porcupines were a different story. š®
He was kind and gentle. He fostered hundreds of puppies and helped them become better dogs. He had a fierce corrective growl but never so much as touched a hair on their heads. He was goofy, and he was a class clown, he made everyone laugh. And he was a #breedambasador – helping people understand and love this misunderstood breed.
I wish his time here on earth was longerā¦ But one thing I promised him was Iād never let him suffer. When I found out the cancer spread to his brain, I knew his days were numbered As soon as the tail wags stopped, as soon as he no longer wanted to play the water game with the hose, I knew I had to let him go with dignity.
I loved every day I got to spend with him. Iām so grateful I got to care for him for 10 yearsā¦ Jimmy … you were my wild and crazy boy and I love you forever and ā- I miss you already. iāll see you some day – somewhere over the š rainbow.
Rest easy you handsome boy.
