Our Family Lost Our Best Friend, Reggie, Today

This morning at 8:30am, we had to take our best friend, Reggie, to be laid down to rest.  I've always sympathized with people that have lost a pet, but I was not quite prepared for how painful it was really going to be.

Reggie was part of our family.  He was the first child for Bryan and I.  We got him one year before we got married and there were times that we said if would could handle Reggie, we could handle anything.  At just 8 months old he swallowed a foot-long stick and had to have it surgically removed. On more than one occasion, we would arrive home to find the house (our first home) like the picture below.  We would yell, he would cower, and then we should snuggle because he was so cute that you couldn't be mad at him for long.

He was very proud of this hole he dug.

Reggie was so good with the kids.  They would climb on him and he wouldn't even bat an eye - he would lick them instead.  He was their guard dog and he watched over all of us all the time.  Even at 95 pounds he wanted to be a lap-dog.  When he was a puppy he would sleep with me.  When he started taking up more room and a full-grown human, he started sleeping next to us.  When Ella was born, he started sleeping next to her.  When Tyler was born he would sleep in the hallway so he could be by all of us.

He was always a rowdy dog.  He had a vertical jump that would make Michael Jordan jealous.  However, as he got older his arthritis started to get the best of him.  He was still so loving, though slow-moving.  This past week we took him to the vet and the doctor was honest with us.  Reggie had a growth around his heart and his bones were now fused together.  We had hope that steroids and pain meds would give us more time with him, but last night Reggie took a turn for the worse.  After paging the doctor, we decided (and I knew deep down) that it was time.  He could no longer catch his breath and he couldn't support his own weight.

We had one last good night home with Reggie Friday night.  While he only passed this morning (at the age of 11), the house is so quiet.  I keep waiting to hear the clicking of his nails on the hardwood or his groan as he stretches.  This house will not be the same without him.

We love you Reggie Boy!  Have fun up in Doggie Heaven and be sure they're giving you lots of treats!

Until next time...