I'm glad that I already hit 10K so that my title is set. Because I've lost another pet in the space of 2 months. My 15 year old cat in December and now my 9 year old dog last week. I really don't want to be titled "Pet Cemetery" or the "Furry Mortician."
Duke was a 9 year old Great Dane-Mastiff. He was a massive 150 pound lap dog, and he inherited the best traits of both breeds. The temperament, the goofiness, the sociability, and the absolute devotion he had to my family. Like all of our pets, he was a rescue. His first year and a half was absolute hell. He was a bait dog for a dog fighting ring before he was rescued, and he had the scars on his body that broke my heart. At first, we were really worried about how he would act around our kids, but we quickly realized why he was a bait dog. He did not have one mean bone in his body and was gentle with all of our other pets. He wouldn't fight back even when we rough-housed and he always rolled over for belly rubs. He kept wanting to play and engage with everyone.
He had advanced cancer and it was so aggressive that it happened in a matter of weeks. One week we thought he just had a cold or pink eye. A few weeks later, he was gone. It was an agonizing decision to have him put down. I stayed with him the entire time. I wanted him to hear my voice and feel my arms around him, giving him love until he took his last breath. And I stayed with my arms around him even when he was gone. I couldn't let go. I've had big dogs all my life and every time I lost one, my heart shattered. I really don't know if I could ever have a big dog again.
I'm just glad that Pope Francis said dogs have souls. Duke was a dog that definitely belongs in Heaven.