A short story about the death of a beloved pet Bucky

Carrie was walking aimlessly down the winding boulevard on the deserted beach. She was holding an empty leash in her hand. Bucky her beloved Scottish Terrier had died three weeks ago. He was fourteen and terribly crippled with arthritis. She just couldn't seem to let go . He was the first thought that entered her mind when her tired eye's opened in the morning. She remembers the endless strolls along the beach. The early morning stops at Starbucks for her java fix and the beef jerky that Bucky loved so much.

Her heart was not yet ready to move on without him beside her.

Oh, she wasn't blind, she'd seen some adorable puppies and beautiful dogs but they were not Bucky.

She ambled slowly over to their favorite bench by the ocean, looking out at the waves only made her feel more despondent. Tears started to well. She was completely unable to get a grip on her emotions. The sadness of losing her best friend refused to go away.

Suddenly a small white Pomeranian appeared out of the blue. She checked, he had no ownership tags of any kind. He had a thorn stuck in his front paw. Matted blood was visible on the walk where he stopped to lick his wound.

Carrie jumped to her feet, rushed over to the injured puppy and attempted to remove the thorn but it was embedded too deeply. The pain was apparent in his sad blue eye's. She swooped him up in her arms and literally ran five blocks to her veterinarian's clinic.

Her vet. Hank was really pleased to see her. He'd been concerned for her well being since Bucky's death. He allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder while he administered the lethal injection to free Bucky's constant pain.

It felt good to see her interested in another animal. He'd watched her depression deepen over the past weeks..

He assured her that he could remove the thorn without pain by giving a pain- alleviating medication. He quickly removed the thorn and applied a thick absorbent gauze bandage. Carrie asked him how much she owed him and he responded by saying, " Nothing my friend, seeing you care for another animal is payment enough.

He told her that he would keep the puppy overnight to make sure there were no further complications. He then surprised her by asking, " Don't you think we should give this little fella a name? " Carrie thought for a minute and said, " Oh yes, let's name him White Thorn."

The next morning Carrie awoke early. Her first thought was White Thorn. She dressed hurriedly and practically ran the five blocks to see if he was ok. Her eye's searched each cage until she saw a little white bundle curled up in a ball. She spoke, " White Thorn, are you awake? " He stretched and held out his injured paw as if to say, " See my paw, thorn all gone. "

Like a bolt of lightening, her mountain of pain left her. All she wanted was to hold her new baby.

They went shopping that day at the local Petsmart. She bought a bed and warm fuzzy blanket, toys and treats, of course she bought beef jerky and sure enough he loved it.

Both were exausted when their shopping spree was over. When Carrie sat down in her lounge chair she held out her arms, Thorn made one giant leap into her arms, licking her nose before settling down for a quiet nap. As Carrie watched him sleep she was positively sure she saw a contented smile on his sweet puckered lips.

This short story is dedicated to my sweet friend Maria ( Mar ) who lost her pet and best friend, Aunt Baby after ten years of unconditional love.