18/11/2023
My good friend Pam lost one of her senior companions earlier this week...She wrote a beautiful tribute for her tiny boy which I will share here...No matter how many pets we have over our lifetime, each one's passing leaves an empty hole in your heart.
Pam wrote, "As I said, it’s been a rough week for pets. This past Sunday we lost our little Taquito (Taquito Bandito), my little “pumpkin dog”. The vet believes he was about 16 years old. Taquito appeared to have IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease). He was waxing and waning with his ability to walk well. He was taking a supplement and began receiving a monthly injection called Librela. He initially showed improvement. He returned to wagging his little tail and walking better. He was eating 4 small meals a day. I would assist him to make sure he was able to balance. He was taking a medication and a supplement, so while taking care of Cali, I was also juggling care for Taquito. I have had a few weeks lacking in sleep, but you do what you have to do. I realized the time had come for the decision I was dreading on Sunday morning. The emergency clinic didn’t open up until 10am, it would be another hour. Taquito was stable, but I knew it was that time. We had some cuddle time and I decided to take a shower. When I came downstairs, he had passed on his own. He was cremated and his ashes should be here any day. Yes, we have a lot of pets. It does seem really empty though without his presence. He would always bark if I fed the cats before him, so it seems weird to not hear that, to not be enjoying our evening cuddle time, to not tuck him in his kennel (I had bumper pads and a special dog bed for him for his comfort), to not look at the clock and know another med is due, and to no longer take him outside for his walk. He was bonkers over his Charlie Bear treats and got excited about anything I called a “cookie”. He was a super happy, adorable, loving little dog. He was an aberration in our neighborhood we found on May 15, 2015. This turned out to be our wedding day for Darryl and I. I always thought that was pretty neat. No one claimed him. No one posted looking for him. I spoke to a friend of mine who thought he might have been a dog that had come into her rescue clinic a couple of times. When he was picked up, she said the owners appeared angry with him, yelling at him, saying “he runs away all the time.”. Well, no kidding, I would, too and I’m so glad he did and found his way to us. He did appear to have been abused. He was terrified if a hand or a foot inadvertently was near him. We simply bombarded him with love. He learned there was nothing to be afraid of and how amazing being loved was. He was half the size of our smallest cat. He was as I like to say “portable”, lol. The cats never quite knew what to make of him. A couple of them would look at him as if to say “you’re not a cat, and you’re too small for a dog? So what exactly are you?” He got along well with the cats. I did have to be careful when we invited Boba to the family as this kitty is rough and tumble and I didn’t want Taquito to get hurt. When we first found him in 2015, our vet said she believed he may have been born around 2011. It was later stated by another vet she believed him to actually be about 16 years old. He was a really happy and loving dog. I only wish we had him from a puppy and to have enjoyed his entire lifetime with him. I miss him so much, our home sincerely seems empty without him. He was so very loved. Now he is at peace and no longer in pain. I know you’re running around and jumping in heaven and were greeted by Cali. RIP our little Taquito Bandito." 😞❤
