On August 18th, our family said farewell to our furry friend Max. He danced into our lives in 2011, a foster failure from the time he set foot in our house. I knew, and he knew, that he was here to stay. He was my best buddy. When Rosie passed, Max grieved. He would come and wake me up in the middle of the night, put his nose in my ear and sigh deeply. We would chat for a long time and then he would eventually go back to bed. He seemed to like these late-night chats and continued to do it for many years.
Max loved his meals and instinctively knew when it was breakfast and dinner time. He had a certain dance that he did for each meal. Dinner was at 5 pm every day. Sometimes, he would start dancing at 4pm, just out of general excitement.
For years Max was my running buddy and the neighborhood cleanup dog. He would find food and carry it home in his mouth. One time he found an entire French baguette that was bigger than his head. He ran 3 miles with it clenched between his jaws, took it home to the backyard and devoured it. Even when he got too old to comfortably run, up until his last few weeks of life, Max loved to go for walks. He would happily sniff his way along and check out all the pee mail.
Max lived his life to the fullest up until the end, when the cancer got too strong, and then we peacefully sent him on his way to join Rosie at the Rainbow Bridge. I miss him deeply every day. We got the sweetest card from his vet clinic. It was obvious he was known and loved there. Tomorrow, I will go pick up his ashes and bring him home for the last time. Hugs your dogs a little closer. They are our best friends. I could not have asked for a more loving companion. Go run free with Rosie, my pal, and I will see you on the flip side.
Harriet's Hedgehogs and Autism Advocacy 