death of my best friend

My Boofo is a short story about my best friend and how we came to be together and how I felt after he died suddenly.

The day that we all dread came my way last Monday at 9.04pm. Today is Friday and it's taken me this long to write a few lines. On that day I lost my best friend, my true friend, my companion of only 10yrs.

I was not around him for his first 2 years of his life, but we did meet every now and then. He was big, strong and showed who was boss. He stood as no other had stood before, he was imposing. With this massive chest wider than any before, he was all powerful and he knew it.

His stance was intimidating, confident, powerful. A stance that demanded respect from all, some would challenge him, to their stupidity and it would be quickly resolved in his favour. He did not have many who made that move.

And as the years rolled on by, he had his ups and downs with his health and nearly died of pancreatitis, that was the start of his diet of rice three veg and boiled chicken breast and only the best would do.

We knew each other well by then, he would lay on my chest as I laid on the couch watching TV. His head on my shoulder, nose near my ear and breathe a hot breath into my neck.

He would go to sleep as we laid there, staying there until I moved that 23kg ball of muscle. He would slide down off me on to the floor and go for a walk to his next favourite place. In the window he would lay watching the world pass by and bark at them as they walked by.

He did not use his voice much only at the postie, little Rosy from down the road, cockatoos or if someone came to the front door that he knew. He would stand up proud hold his head high and open his mouth wide, a smile, a lovely boy, wag his tail and walk to the door and greet you. come on in, nice to see you again.

If he didn't know you, he would stand up proud, head high push on the window to where you could see it bend and then bark, not just any old bark, a deep bark, from that big chest, It was deep, deep throaty sound like that of a male lion.

Some would not even come to the door. A window repairman, a friend of a family member would not enter, the parcel delivery man once threw a parcel to the door instead of knocking.

If only they knew he would only like to lick them and invite them in, help yourself to anything he would say, I only want to say hello OK. He never ever bit anyone intentionally in anger, the hand holding his favourite plastic bottle got the odd chomp and that was mine.

That mouth it could hold a football, and rip any dog toy to bits in seconds, even those that stated they were dog proof, but they weren't Boofo proof.

His favourite toy, best of all, best of the rest was a plain old plastic drink bottle, but it had to have the cap on tight. He loved to rip it off, then chew the bottle down flat and drop it as to say done with that one.

He knew the days of the week and on the weekend we would go for a ride in the car first thing in the morning to the park, didn't matter which park as long as it had soft grass to walk on, no rocks, no long grass, no prickles and no dry grass that would hurt his feet.

He sat in the front while the girls, Lilly and Sasha had to sit in the back, no questions asked. If they tried he would just look at them in a way they knew time to move.

I would need to take a bottle with us for him to chew, with the cap on tight. He would carry that bottle form start to finish, but as the years rolled on he would drop it for me to carry.

Carry it I did from the time he dropped it to the time we got back in the car, he would check along the way to make sure I had that bottle and every now and then reach up and chomp it some more, to make sure. He would wait for me along the way just to check if I was still coming. He would turn and look at me with that look that said, "come on will ya".

Lilly and Boofo have been together as long as I have, she came with me to his house and he let her in to his life. Then as the years rolled on by Sasha arrived and in she came, licked his face and cleaned his eyes.

This was something new, didn't like it at first, but there is only so much you can take, he gave in to her and she licked him whenever she wanted to. Even when he was sound asleep and wake him suddenly with a fright.

As the years rolled on by he would always come to greet me at the door and wag his tail and wait for me to say "Hello Boofo", but now it was taking a longer time for him to arrive at the door.

He would follow me everywhere in the house to be by my side or up on my lap for a cuddle and scratch. I would place my face on his and move it side to side on his cheeks. He loved to lay on his back and for me to hold him like a baby and rub behind his back legs. He appeared to like these cuddles the most. He slept beside me in my bed head to head and some times he needed to be held when he was feeling sad or sick.

His sleeping arrangements were his to decide, which bed, under the covers or on top, couch, chair which one and where, he would even share, go here for a while and then into there. He always slept in a bed and for his entire life never had to sleep outside once.

He had to have baths every now and then, don't get dirty if you don't go outside, hard to get him in, but once in loved it and the drying time was the best. I would hold his towels out wide, he walk towards me head down low and let me rap that towel around him and give a good rub, until he was dry, he loved that.

Now the years have rolled by and we can't do these things any more, at 12yrs 3mth and 21 days old he passed away on Monday 21 February 2011 at 9.04pm of a massive heart attack.

We had just returned home from the vet after having his arthritis shot and annual check up. Lifted him out of the car for the walk up the driveway, seemed to take for ages to get near the steps, I stopped and call him, "come on Boofo what are you doing". He walk some more and I could see he was having troubles, so I picked him up and inside we went and placed him on the couch.

We all fused about and patted him and said we loved him, I called the vet and over we went and as we carried him inside and on to the examination table he died in my arms. I cried, I kissed his face and said "I loved him" and I held him all the time it took for him to die, I didn't care about him wetting himself or when he shit, I needed to hold him and tell him I loved him. I said "I love you Boofo" more time than I can remember.

The vet didn't have to give him that needle, the one us pet owners dread for it was to late. He had had a massive heart attack she said.

The short ride home and I placed him on the floor and we cried some more as Lilly and Sasha came and checked him out. you could see the worry in their faces and they seemed to be upset at boofo lying there. Family were arriving now to say their goodbyes. I placed him at the end of my bed for his last sleep inside.

I didn't sleep at all that terrible night for the next day I had to bury him. I had picked his spot many years before, I knew that I needed to be prepared for what I was about to do, I dug a hole as deep as needed slowly, slowly making sure it was right. I did not want this to be quick because I needed every precious moment left with him, all the time crying, tears rolling down my face, I made the most of the time left.

Now the time had come for him and me, I took him from my bed, wrapped him in his bath towels with his favourite toy, a plastic bottle with the cap on not too tight now, for he was born Weatherby Black Bandit a Staffordshire Bull Terrier black and white on the 31 October 1998, now he is 12yrs 3mths and 21 days old. Boofo to us and not a pup any more.

I have taken time off work to be around, the girls are also sad and miss him bad. The house is quiet now even though the girls are still around. Lilly now 12yrs 6mths and Sasha nearly 9, so I know all this will happen again, but I will never forget Boofo nor them and hope their day are far far away.

I miss you heaps Boofo, you have been apart of me and have been my life, I love you heaps and this pain will last a lifetime for me.

I love my Boofo