Farewell to a Great Friend
It was supposed to be a lazy Sunday...sleep in, take my dog Molson for a walk, make breakfast for
Shar and myself, read the newspaper and just relax around the house. Little did I know that April 3 would become a day I will never forget.
When I got up, I found Molson laying on the tile inside the front door. He looked up at me to acknowledge me by wagging his tail lightly. I put out his food and filled his water dish, grabbed a magazine and got back into bed to read for awhile.
Molson being his attentive self...and so darn cute!
When I got up a couple hours later, I checked on Molson and found that he had moved downstairs to the rec room. He seemed mopey so I just assumed that he was not feeling well. Several hours later he had yet to barely move or make a sound so I went outside and tried to coax him out but he still did not seem to want to move. Feeling a bit nervous now, I tried to help him up and get him outside but when I got him up and he barely walked I knew something was wrong.
A trip to the animal hospital confirmed Molson was not well, although not with what I thought might be ailing him. I was thinking the arthritis in his hind legs had flared up very badly but instead it turned out something much more severe - something had ruptured in his abdomen and it was filled with blood.
The decision was easy to make, albeit a tough one for me to say out loud...he had to be put to sleep. I could have elected surgery to stop the bleeding but had Molson made it through the surgery, he would have had 6-9 months at best. Putting him through that was not an option.
It all seemed to happen so quickly and Molson passed away with his head in my hands, massaging his ears...so quietly...so peacefully....so sadly and suddenly.
The rest of the day was spent with my eyes filled with tears thinking how unfair this was to have happened so randomly. I also thought about how great a dog Mols was and about all of the good times we had together.
My girlfriend first threw the idea out there and after pondering it, I quickly came to agree completely. People say we are here on this Earth for a purpose and I think the same holds true for our pets. Molson's purpose, aside from being my best friend of course, was to see me through a rough patch in my life that occurred last year.
He was there for me when I needed him the most and when I needed someone to hug and someone to talk to but did not want to be around people. He was there for me to vent to and hold on to. I know he understood me...he had a way of turning his head while he was being spoken to that gave you the sense that he understood every word you were saying. A close friend said of Molson on a number of occasions, "He understands more of our words than we understand of his." True, indeed!
The beauty of our pets is that their loyalty and support does not waver. No matter what our day might hold, they are there for us. They are happy when we come home and their presence is calming and soothing for us. Molson knew that I was happy again and had come through my rough period and that he was needed elsewhere so it was his time.
I miss by buddy every day and wish he was still here and we could take walks together, play ball outside, take a ride up to the mountains (possibly his most favorite spot) and whatever else we wanted to do. I miss him chasing birds out of the basin behind my house and the way he stared as birds would circle above.
I miss the way we would "talk" to me with his howls when he wanted something and it was cute how quickly he became jealous when I would hug Shar. Molson did not want to be left out and he did not want to disappoint.
Molson in the creek up in the mountains
I miss him greeting me at the top of my steps everyday with a toy or shoe in his mouth and his happy, playful whine as I entered the house. I miss him begging for my dinner, after he ate his, and the way he would take his snout and move my arm onto him so I would pet him. I miss everything about him but I know that he is in a better place getting ready to serve his next purpose.
I am happy when I think about the time I had with Molson and any future dogs I own will have HUGE paws to fill!
I hope to see my buddy again one day but until that time comes I will never forget him....I love ya, Molson!
A song for my pal....
