Bonesy Bear ... my puppy

My dog made his way back to heaven today. Bonesy, as he was called in our home, was 17 years and 3 weeks old. He was born May 8, 1993. I bought him for $75 from an ad in the paper. He was six months old when I got him. I was sitting in the living room of the people who owned him when he ran into the room and did a complete 360 to look me right in the eye. It was love at first sight. I had to have him. They had named him Nolan Ryan but I called him Bono after the lead singer in U2. I absolutely loved that band and felt that was a great name for my pup.

He was so incredibly adorable; he had fluffy white hair, brown eyes that looked right into my soul and a feisty personality. He was my guardian angel for sure. I had just moved from Lebanon a few months before I got him and I was very much homesick still. I would come home after a long day at school or a night out with my friends where I felt a little sad and would just cry into his fur. He would just sit there and let me do what I needed to feel better. I lived with my brother at the time who didn’t necessarily care for dogs that much but he loved Bonesy. Bonesy ate through my brother’s shoes, sweaters, the carpet by the front door, the double doors to the kitchen and the list could go on for a while. I would take him to the park by our condo in Dallas where he would just run around with all the other dogs during our afternoon doggy play dates. He could be across the park on the other side but if I mentioned the word treat he would sprint all the way back. I absolutely loved that dog from the first minute I got him. My friends would tease me that I carried him around like a baby. He was my baby. I would take him only to the best groomers to make sure they cut his hair into a cute teddy bear haircut. He had my heart and everything just followed.

I took Bonesy with me everywhere I went. I had him for five years before I even met my husband. He went with me to Lebanon one year where he had the best summer ever. I remember people at the airport thinking I was nuts to bring my pup with me. I would take him to the mountains for hikes. He loved sticking his head out the window and letting the breeze hit his face. He loved life and enjoyed every minute of it.

Bonesy was not the type of dog that had any smell to him at all. He never lost his puppy coat so he was always soft and smelled awesome. The one time that he stunk in his life was when I dated a guy he didn’t like. I would get him out of the bath and he would be totally stinky. He knew that wasn’t the right guy for me and drove him away. When I met my husband, Bonesy rolled over on his back and let my husband pet him. He loved my husband from the first moment they met.

We moved to Colorado when he was seven. He was a pure bred Lhasa Apso so he totally loved the cooler weather. We would find him on the back porch sitting in the snow letting it collect on top of him for hours. When my oldest son was born, Bonesy jumped on the couch and wouldn’t let anyone touch him. He was protecting him even from us. It was just too cute to see.

About five year ago Bonesy got cancer on his tail. I tried to treat it naturally but nothing worked. At times, dogs take on our burden and I totally feel that he was taking that illness on for me so that I could learn to have balance in my life. I remember the day before we had to amputate his tail, I found him laying in the corner of the pantry, I told him that if he pulled through this that I promise I would learn to balance my life and give time for me. He looked into my eyes with those old soul brown eyes of his and he made me feel like he understood. He pulled through and I kept my promise of creating time for myself even though I had two little boys.

Last year about two weeks after losing the baby, Bonesy had his first seizure that I witnessed. I told my husband that I didn’t want him to suffer and that we needed to help him if needed. He had a few more of those but he pulled out of them. I told my husband that Bones has always taken care of me and that he would stick around until I was stronger and that’s when he’ll go. I made him pots and pots of chicken soup which was his absolute favorite. I would cook eggs, bacon and rice for him. I gave my puppy all the love that I could give.

I told him today that he needed to still take care of me and that I would miss him tremendously. Bones would play with a treat for 15 minutes before eating it. He would throw it from left to right, run around it and just have fun with it. That’s the image I have in my head of my pup. He’s finally free of the body that no longer kept up with his spirit. I’m going to repeat my thought of last week. What if my puppy was born into heaven today and he’s going to make someone there extremely happy like he did for me for 17 years. I love my puppy and always will. I called on Saint Francis, Archangel Michael, Archangel Raphael and my dad to help my pup with his transition.

I love you Bonesy Bear my little fluffer nutter! I will miss you but I know you will always be with me.

Your human mommy,
Mary