Goodbye, Mandy

To the point of this post, the PF’s parents’ dog died today. She was a brindle Boston terrier, sweet and cute in a disgusting way. She’d lived a long, pampered life during her 13 years in that family. Her name was a long list of names the PF’s sisters picked out, but she was called simply “Mandy” I guess because that was the favorite.

A sad footnote is that she had been failing healthwise for the past several months, and my in-laws left work early this afternoon to take her to the vet. It was to be most likely a final trip there, because if nothing could be done about her unwillingness to eat and struggle to move, she was to be put to sleep. But after running a few errands, the PF went home before her parents had arrived. She went to the back yard to let Mandy in, but discovered that she had already passed. So crazy that gross little animals can so easily burrow themselves into our hearts. Facts of life include death, and losing a pet is like losing a favorite family member.

Mandy's now buried in one of her favorite places — under a tree in my in-laws' back yard. I think that's a little better than my mom's dog, which was also old and failing in health. She had her put down earlier this year, then my dad buried her in the front flower bed.

Here’s some reasons why pets are awesome:

• Unconditional love.
It doesn’t matter how much you stink, what you look like or what kind of day you’ve had, they’ll still want to crawl into your lap or lick your face. Or go for a long walk to help you de-stress.

• Loyalty.
This isn’t always the case, but dogs in particular have a penchant for latching on to one or two people and being loyal to the point of ferocity. Cats can do this, too. Maybe there’s even a gold fish out there who prefers his owner to other distorted through-the-bowl faces.

• Fun.
If a pet’s not fun, why have one? Our dog Gypsy is always ready to play. She will even just sit across the room and smile at us sometimes. Goofy dog!

• Responsibility.
Most pets require some sort of care, whether feeding, walking, letting ‘em out to relieve themselves, cleaning out cages or litter boxes, changing water, etc. I didn’t have my own dog until after college, and it kept me honest because I couldn’t stay out all night without at least taking care of the little guy first. Though there were a few nights I got “distracted” and had to clean up that mistake after I got home. Was it worth it? Oh yes.

• Genuine reality.
Pets are often genuine; though they can be devious, good owners can see right through them. They also teach reality – especially the harsh reality at the ends of their lives. We can love them while they’re on earth, and remember them fondly. And, if we’re in the mood, we can look for our next nonhuman best friends to not replace, but return our lives to the wild world of the animal kingdom.

Bye, Mandy.