Rusty

March 19, 2002

The day I first met you.

Your dad carried you in

All 12.7 pounds of you.

You were only 8 weeks old,

Long legs sticking out every which way.

Your mom smiling,

Looking on lovingly.

I wondered if it was too soon.

A month earlier,
I met your older brother --

Bear or Baron
As we also knew him.

We had to say good-bye to Bear

Just days before you came along.

Too soon? Who knows?

I just know

You brought smiles
Back to their faces

And joy to their days.

You also brought a few gray hairs

Not only to them, but to me, too!

Demodex
Allergies

A skin mass called histiocytoma

Ear infections

Skin infections

And more ear infections

Remember when Samantha came along

And gave you kennel cough?
Oi!

Then you had to decide

To repeat everything
Two years later ---

More allergies

Demodex again

And another histiocytoma

You must have liked these
Histiocytoma

As another one came
In twenty-o-six.

Luckily,
No surgery needed.

You hurt your paw last summer.

That was crazy

With both you

And Samantha limping around.

We got you through that

Then came the weight
And thyroid issues.

And who can forget
The worry over
The numerous growth removals.

You were the Patchwork Kid

With checker boards
Across your body.

As the years passed,
And Amanda and Dylan
Came along,
I knew you were getting older
But to me,
You were still that gangly pup.

So much over the years,

We overcame it all.

So it's hard to believe

We won't see you this fall.

I'll always remember the last time

Your dad was able to carry you in -

At 6 months old,
You were over 70 pounds.

You were their big baby.

And I remember that terrible day
When they returned from your training camp.

That was a disaster.

Your mom was in tears

Over what the trainer had said.

You were well-loved,

Let's not say spoiled.

What was that all about --

Not letting your parents
Clean your paws?

And being picky with your food?
But only with the diet food,
Not with McDonald's
Egg McMuffins.

I was so proud of your folks

When you shed those pounds.

I was proud of you for

Finally learning to stand

For us to trim your nails.

You could have easily
Thrown us around

With your strength and size.

But you never did --

Well, maybe only once or twice.

Your years with us were far too few,

But we know they were filled

With unconditional love.

They would do

Whatever they could

To keep you here with us.

You know that.

But they love you

Too much to keep you here

If it means

Pain and unhappiness
For you.

They had to make

A difficult decision

To let you go.

It was an unselfish,

Loving decision ---

For you.

I hope in time,

Your mom will forgive herself

For having to make that decision.

May your family

Find peace and comfort

In the many
Loving memories of you.

You may be gone

From this physical world.

But you touched our lives

And will live on in our hearts.

May 18, 2009
The day we bid you farewell.