Today my family shared a very sad experience. Our long-time loyal friend Bob, our family dog for almost 15 years, was put to perpetual sleep. This is not the first time we have made the decision to euthanize a family member. We still covet the ashes of Lillian, the equally loyal family dog our kids grew up with. Now there is another urn of ashes.
Bob came to us as a stray at our Smoky Mountain home we called, Sky Ranch. He was completely covered in ticks and mange, his paws bleeding so badly he fell to the ground when they touched out gravel drive.
He was so emaciated we didn't think he would survive. So we brought him to the vet to bring him back to health, clean him up and get his shots, all the while hoping his owner would respond to our lost dog flyers.
After a few days of rehab and no owner claiming him, we took him back to the ranch to save him from being euthanized at about 10 months of age. With regular feeding and care he had already put on some weight and looked much more like a dog than a skeleton. My first reaction was, Wow! You're a Big ol' Boy! Hence, the reason we named him BOB. Big Ol' Boy.
Bob had the best life a dog could wish for after that. He had some of the best friend dogs including his little buddy Banjo, cousin Sandy and his true girlfriend, Shortie, among others.
In the end, he succumbed to old age, looking more like the Bag O' Bones when we first met. A few years ago, I created a crude video about Bob and his friends when he almost died from a snake bite. Thank God he survived. Today our family watched the video, having lost most of his friends depicted in it.
I hadn't realized the immense power of a pet tribute video until now. For anyone who has ever lost a family pet, after giving years of unconditional love, I cannot imagine a better way to give him or her an honored place in family history than to produce one of these.
This video treasure allows us to remember him the way he would want us to, his well-deserved legacy. It may not be the most professional production, but even Spielberg couldn't make one better this very day.
Ahh Luhhh You Beeee!
In memory of our dear loyal and loving friend Bob, please take a few minutes to enjoy his life in pictures. Thank you!