Goodbye For Now, Little Buddy 🐕

I left work at 2PM. He was in this large room lined with metal cages of various sizes. Ohio’s Animal Shelter.

He was so scared. His hopeful eyes raced with excitement as I picked him up in my arms.

🏘 We brought him home and he loved it. ❤️

“A forever home? For me?” His little tail like a speedy metronome as he raced around inspecting every corner with joy.

That was years ago. When the world was much different.

How are dogs so intuitive, understanding, and smart? Scottie gave us so many treasured memories.

Last week, Dona, the hospice nurse told us to feed him whatever he wanted. Pizza, vanilla gelato, Slim Jim’s. I sang to him. Told him how much we loved him.

We drove him around the lake. He loved seeing all the people, the trees, and other animals. He cuddled in Joe’s lap.

Mark visited him. Showed him love. The day passed with a myriad of emotions. Evening came. Dr. Tori arrived with her leather medical bag.

Joe sat next to me. He cried a lot. I cried a lot. We said our goodbyes to little Scottie.

Dr. Tori was so gentle and loving. We stared into his little eyes as he drew his last breath. Goodbye for now, little guy.

I carried his tiny body wrapped in soft blankets down to her car. She cried in the elevator.

Afterwards, I laid on the floor next to his tee-pee house and wept. The sting of hot tears silvering my face in the darkness. A torrent of pain and grief. Joe brought me a mug of hot tea. We cried in bed together.

The morning came. Scout ran up to Scottie’s blanket wagging her tail looking for him. Then to his little house. “He’s gone, sweetheart.”

There’s a hollowness now. An emptiness. The pain of broken hearts.

His loving memory remains.

A longing for an era lost.

Forever in our hearts.

He remains.