My Mom's dog Pee Wee died one morning last week and I expected it to happen one day soon but it surprised me all the same. It surprised me because that dog had a will to live like no other dog I had ever seen before. He was completely blind, could barely stand up, but he kept plugging along. We all suggested that Mom have him put to sleep but she always refused with tears streaming down her face. She is 75 years old, has had three different kinds of cancer, so she knows something about plugging along and a will to live.
We estimate that Pee Wee was somewhere between 16 and 17 years old and he was my Dad's favorite before Pops passed away in 2007. Pops was put in hospice care the week before he died so we decided it would be a good thing to take Pee Wee to see him before he passed away. Pops was in a coma by this time and we put Pee Wee up on the bed with him and the poor dog kept pawing at my Dad's hand wanting to be petted. Pee Wee could not understand why Pops wasn't getting him to fetch his damn hat or some other ridiculous item.
Pee Wee was Pops favorite dog and he took him everywhere with him- to Wal-Mart, to the barbershop, to his favorite General store. Pee Wee was his copilot. My youngest sister took Pee Wee in as an orphan when he was about two years old and Pops didn't want to have much to do with him at first. He was just another stray animal one of his kids had taken in. Pops must have seen some great potential in Pee Wee because pretty soon they were inseparable. Pops and Pee Wee could have been stars on David Letterman's stupid pet tricks and even without the fame and fortune, Pops had to show everyone that came over to our house what Pee Wee could do.
After Pops passed away, Pee Wee became Mom's dog as they battled the problems of getting old together. They fought the good fight but it was time for Pee Wee to go and he went peacefully in his sleep as all good dogs should. My nephew Kyle buried him in the Pet Cemetery behind the house so he could joing the rest of the bird dogs and family pets that have crossed over to the other side.
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