justplainbil

Just Plain Bill

My dog Abbie just died,

and I just can’t find the right words

You would think that after nearly 8,000 walks over eleven years with my dog…walks often as early as five o’clock in the morning and many as late as midnight in the evening…that it would be easy to write a few meaningful words about my experiences as “daddy” to my “girl” Abbie, a ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Having been born in Scotland, Abbie came to us from a breeder at four months of age, weighing in at eight pounds or so. She immediately proceeded to endear herself to all she met, with her cute smile, big eyes, and gentle yet frisky demeanor. She was willing to accept all, asking only for a scratch on her belly or behind her ear.

Being a type that had experienced extensive inbreeding, her physical challenges soon appeared in the forms of a sensitive stomach, joints that did not always function correctly, some wheezing, a major snore (that provided me with cover on more than one occasion in the evening), and finally, congestive heart failure. The latter required daily medication in the second half of her life – medication she took willingly, either with a Pill Pocket or in peanut butter.

Many of us have pets and many of us have lost pets, but, for me, nothing has prepared me for the loss…the hurt I feel having lost Abbie. She had lived a long life for her breed, a year beyond what was expected. She was able to adjust to our move from an elevation of 35 feet to 7,500 feet, with her breathing actually getting stronger. (The vet said the air was purer at that elevation.) After walking only on concrete or grass in wonderful California climate, she adapted well to walking in the gravel, the heat, and most recently in the rain and snow of New Mexico – her colorful blanket protecting her somewhat during our single-digit temperatures - leaving a trail in the snow with her belly as she dutifully “did her business.” 

Abbie made me more human. She lived her life without judgment, celebrating the most mundane events with full measure, welcoming all into her full and robust life. The fact that she left almost without warning is making this even more difficult…

I miss her, but know I am a better man for having been her “daddy.”