Growing up on a ranch, our dogs weren't just our back yard buddies, they were our runnin' buddies, our protectors, our BEST friends. They ran wild and free right by our sides. There weren't a lot of other kids to do stuff with, so our dogs happily filled that void. They worked by our side and played by our side. So it's only natural that my animals have always been something I loved, more than most of the people I've known. They all hold their special places in my heart. Some long past and some recent...
Today we had to say goodbye to Snowball.
Almost 7 years ago, I met a handsome guy with a fluffy white dog named Snowball. Kam had rescued Snow from the city pound before we met. I remember thinking how funny it was for a manly man type guy like Kam to have such a girly dog.
They were big buddies, Kam & Snow. They had deep talks and Snow would tilt his head like he knew what Kam was saying. Kam told me Snow wouldn't like me, that'd he'd get between us and keep me away, but he never did. He loved me day one, and I assure you, it was reciprocated.
I remember giving Snowball a bath one of the first times I drove to Post to see Kam because he was so filthy. After we started dating, Snowball went every where with us. I had never owned a high maintenance dog, so I was terrible about getting his hair cuts, so he usually looked like a hot mess but he was so very loved. I can't tell you how many different groomers I took him to, trying to avoid the "you don't love him" look of disdain they would give me when they saw his wretched matted fur, but I did love him. I do love him.
We were never sure just how old Snow was. He was already old when Kam got him...we had cancers cut off of his face and neck, had 20+ teeth pulled and would have done it all again. But Snow got cranky in his old age and started messing in our floors...he could hardly hear, could hardly see, had a hard time eating and in the past few weeks, he had started snapping and growling at Kye.
Just this morning, he was running and playing like a pup, but then came the crankiness and this time it was just too close for comfort. So Snow has gone to the happy hunting ground in the sky. He will be horribly missed by many.
See, Snows was kind of famous. All of our friends loved him, laughingly teased Kam about his "gay" dog and several people helped us chase him down alleys numbers of times. (Snow liked to run through town if he could get free from the house or leash!)
Snowball left us before things got too bad, it's probably best that way. But I'll miss his wagging tail and his smelly breath. I'll miss watching him run through the house rubbing his ears on all the furniture after a bath and I'll miss hearing his cry everytime Kam left the house with out him.
Snowball, we love ya buddy. Thanks for being such a sweetheart all these years. Me, Kam & Penny-pa-tee miss you already.
Peace, Love, and good dogs,
W
