As I write this my dog Flynn is lying down next to me which makes this topic good and bad. Good because I love when he’s around, getting him was one of the best decisions my wife and daughter made and full disclosure I was resistant in the beginning but more on that later. The bad part here is a friend of mine told me recently that on the day we spoke a veterinarian was on his way over to the house to euthanize his dog, a pet he’s had for 14 years. It had to be done because the poor boy was suffering too much. Be that as it may and I think we’ve all heard that before, “it’s worse to let them live with all the pain” it kinda took my breath away. I thought about what that day would be like for Will and his wife. As you can imagine he was emotional telling me about it and I can’t stop thinking about it several days later. So I start thinking about Flynn and how old he is, he’s going to be 10 this summer, and having to face the moment when he is not here anymore. First the backstory, I had been hesitant to get a dog because we were living in a condo and I didn’t think it the right environment for a dog even though millions of people live in apartments/condos and everything is hunky dunky. I was really just stalling. It might have something to do with when I was a kid and had a dog and it got hit by a car and died. I was around 8 and had no tools to deal with that. Dial up to ten years ago and as soon as the conversation started up about getting a dog I drew up all the emotions of when I lost my dog as a kid. Well, eventually I gave in and now I can’t imagine not having this wonderful companion. All the things they say about pets are true, they calm you down, lower your blood pressure and dig you no matter how big a mope you might be. One of the most relaxing things I have witnessed is watching Flynn sleep, it’s hypnotic. He follows me everywhere, he’s always excited to see me when I walk in the door. What human does that? Well, a stalker is the only human who follows someone everywhere. Reality for the most part is not anyone’s friend and that’s why I try to avoid it at all costs. All the dogs I will talk about this year on the Project K9 Hero calendar are deceased. I know these moments come for every living thing and I will continue to think my dog will be different and live to 30. To all of you who have gone through this I can’t imagine what it’s like, it’s the same as losing a family member. Or maybe I can imagine it and didn’t think about it until I talked to my friend Will. In the end I’m happy to report Flynn is a healthy, vibrant 10 year old and after I write this I’m going to throw his plastic bone around in the backyard and enjoy the moment. After all, it’s all any of us have.

Gunga, galunga
Garry