Thank you for being a friend.  Traveled down the road and back again.  Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant…….

I write this with great sadness in my heart today.  I spoke about making the hard decision where my old maltese terrier Bobby was concerned a few months ago.  Last night, the decision was taken out of my hands by Bob himself.   Bobby turned 15 last October and has been starting to finally show his age.  He has been declining rapidly over the past 2 weeks and we had made the decision that we had to have him put down by next week if he hadn’t already died.  I didn’t want to have to make that decision as he has been the most determined and stubborn dog I’ve ever known.  I really wanted this final decision to be his, not mine or my sons’.

Last night, after having been out all day, we arrived home to Bobby in his basket, still alive and sleeping.  We had visitors and he was still fine.. in fact, he looked a bit more alert than he had in a week.  After the visitors left, Lachlan and I walked back inside and Bob looked up at me and his poor blind eyes told me all I needed to know.  I picked him up and as he lay his head straight onto my chest, I knew we were finally going to say our goodbyes.  His cuddle let me know he was dying.

Lachlan held him for ages and said his goodbyes.  Bobby came to us when Lachlan was 15 and Stuart 13.  Lachlan didn’t want him but within a day had fallen in love with the charismatic ball of fluff.  Nearly everyone who met Bobby loved him.  He had the biggest personality in his tiny frame.  He let kids (and adults) dye his fur all different colors and thought he looked fantastic.  He was a real ladies man and knew how to charm everyone.   All through the hard years, the boys told that dog everything.  Bob listened and comforted as needed.  He gave both boys unconditional love and they would both agree that he was the most adorable dog in the whole wide world.

After he said his goodbyes, Lachlan passed him back to me and I laid down on the couch with him in my arms and said mine.  I told him how much we all loved him and that I just wanted him to finally go to heaven where he would be teased by my brother in law, Neal, fed heaps by my mum and spoiled rotten by my daughter Aimee.  I have told him this before but this time he finally listened.

He stared at me and his eyes seemed to clear for him to follow every move my head made.  Bobby’s eyes could always convey so much love and he had an exceptionally expressive face.  Age had taken it’s toll on that expressiveness but last night, he got it back for a while.  His eyes told me everything he couldn’t say and he laid in my arms, just watching my face.

At 2.30am I must have dozed off for just a bit of a power nap and when I woke only a few minutes later, I realised he had gone.  His eyes were still open and fixed on me but something was different.  His soul had left his tiny body and his huge heart had stopped beating.  He must have waited until I closed my eyes for those few minutes and when he realised I was finally asleep, he knew it was his turn too and took his leave.

Lachlan, Stuart and I will miss him dearly.  He has been the most loyal, true and faithful companion anyone could wish for.  The perfect dog.  Yes, we often had arguments but that’s because he was as opinionated as me and we didn’t always see eye to eye.  I never doubted his love or his complete loyalty.  If the boys and I had an argument, while he probably loved the boys more, he always sided with me.  That might sound silly, but trust me, if Bob was cross with you, you knew it.. and he let the boys know if he thought they were in the wrong.  I was definitely his pack leader and he showed me the sort of respect the animal kingdom does for the leader.

We buried our little man this morning, beside the rose bush he loved to lay under.  We wrapped him in his snuggy blanket and placed him in a spot that gets the most sunshine as he loved nothing more than to lay in the sun.  I have no doubt the roses will bloom even more profusely to remind us of him constantly.  I am going to miss his companionship, his cuddles and his occasional bad attitude.  I know some people will think, well yes it’s sad, but he is just a dog.  To us he was an integral part of our family, my expert travel companion and our family’s secret holder.

Farewell my beautiful Bobby.  You wormed your way into all our hearts and into the hearts of nearly everyone who ever met you.  You had more personality, love and humour than a lot of humans I’ve met and you will be so sorely missed.  I will love you forever little man.

Happy Sleeping… Mum (Livvy)

xxxx