It saddens me to say I’ve experienced a lot of furry loved ones having passed recently. When I was in high-school, all of my animal companions seemed untouchable. Today, almost all find themselves resting peacefully at the Rainbow Bridge. I felt the need to blog about these five special pets that were a big part of my life. Expressing my feelings in words helps me to remember all the wonderful times I enjoyed with them…and I thought maybe it will help you do the same. Not only that, but I have some updates from them as well.
Betty – The Yorkshire Terrier
Betty was a little firecracker and belonged to my good friend Beav. I’ve never seen a dog as focused on its master as much as she was. When Beav was around, you’d be sure to find her beside him or on his lap, awaiting the next command or cue. She really didn’t concern herself with what friends and I would do, unless we did what young men sometimes do in big groups…… wrestle! She’d be right in the middle of things, trying to break it up. She was never too pleased with our play-fighting to say the least.
Rainbow Bridge Update: Betty has been spotted breaking up fights between boxer breed dogs. Don’t underestimate her size!
Buddy – The Golden Retriever
Buddy was a very big boy and was a part of my friend Nick’s family. His senses were quite keen. He could tell when I pulled up in my car despite my efforts to be quiet on late nights and would bark to make sure everyone knew…thanks Buddy! Extremely friendly, his bark was definitely more fierce than his bite. My favourite memory was my friend’s impersonation of his mom and Buddy, when she arrived home everyday. The first time he did the impersonation, his mom came home within five minutes. It was dead on the money, even the barking!
Rainbow Bridge Update: Buddy is at the stand-up club impersonating my friend Nick…it’s quite hilarious actually. Touche.
Sheeba – The Siberian Husky
Arguably the most beautiful dog I’ve ever seen, Sheeba was my Blackberry screen for about 3 years. Even in her last days, she still had the eyes of a puppy and such a beautiful thick coat. She belonged to my good friend Ramin and his family, and I always remember her being on the lookout in the driveway every time I pulled up near the Lakeshore. She was very gentle, and more of a listener than a big barker. If your hands were the salty type, she’d be happy to lick them for you…gently of course! She did shed like typical huskies, but it was definitely worth every hair.
Rainbow Bridge Update: Sheeba has found the coldest part the bridge has to offer…she has decided to go back to her true roots of sled-pulling. Someone has to get those Bulldogs around!
Pansy – The Tri-coloured Cat
Pansy was the most affectionate living creature I’ve ever encountered. She was an ‘insta-purr’ cat, and no sound is as aesthetically pleasing than that of a cat’s sultry purr. My favourite memory of her took place on a Muskoka island. For whatever reason I decided to sleep on the boat one night. Granted it wasn’t freezing, but it still gets quite cool in the summer. I’m telling you…she knew I would be cold. She came down the dock, parked herself on my chest and stomach, and stayed there the whole night. It was just the right amount of heat and the perfect amount of companionship. When she got older the other cats helped keep her clean by licking her. True friendship.
Rainbow Bridge Update: Pansy was made Queen. She didn’t want the role but the masses wouldn’t have it any other way.
KC – The Little Wombat
This is by far the toughest one of all. KC belonged to my best friend Bryan and his family. He lived close to our high-school so I pretty much saw her everyday since she was a pup. A bit of a diva, she was shipped from out West with a hefty price tag. However, she was worth her weight in gold and then some. She was extremely obedient, well tempered, and despite her size, an excellent guard dog. She could play for days, or sit quietly with us while we watched television. If you were to bring pizza into the house though, you had to be prepared to sacrifice your crust. KC looooooved pizza crust. I always loved KC’s shaggy hair, but once in awhile in the summer, she’d get those dreaded clippers. On the morning of her last day, his family was nice enough let me come visit her one last time….I think they knew how important she was to me. Although she didn’t have the energy to get up and give me a proper goodbye, I knew she wanted to and that was more than good enough for me.
Rainbow Bridge Update: KC has taken over the management of the only
Pizza Nova in town. She’s currently designing a new pizza consisting solely of crust.
May you all be resting in peace with unlimited amounts of treats, tuna and pizza crust.