So Long Loyal Friend

I have heard it said that quality of time is more important than quantity of time, and that has never been more true than in the life of our sweet Gus. Gus was the perfect dog. We brought him home from the pound 6 months ago, and he changed our love for the canine species completely. Many people joked that Gus was more of a prop than a pet, because he loved to curl up at your feet and would not move for hours. He would let Kate crawl all over him, and he protected Emma from other animals at the park when we played. He loved going for long walks, and he is the only lab I have ever known that I could walk easily while pushing a double stroller. I never once heard him bark. He was the best family pet I could have ever asked for. Gus' life was not the best. Before being dumped at the pound, he had been used as a breeder, and spent the majority of his life in a cage that he could not stand up in. Because of this he was very leary of humans, but he bonded with our family in a way I could not have hoped for.

Yesterday, we lost our sweet Gus. I took him to the vet and never imagined that I would not be bringing him back home with me. He had been going down hill for the past two weeks, and the vet discovered yesterday that he had cancer in his liver and in his spleen. She suggested it was kinder if we put him out of his misery, so that is what we did. Our whole family was there, and I sat with Gus as they put him to sleep. It was an emotional thing, explaining death to my daughter for the very first time. Even the death of a pet. And it will forever seem strange that he will not be greeting us at the door when we arrive home any longer. So long, loyal friend. You will always be missed.