My Chiefee.....R.I.P

One of the worst times this year was when we lost our beloved dog Chief. If you don't know the story, I should explain how he came to our family.

We got him four and a half years ago when I was driving down River Rd. The cars in front of me came to a screeching halt in the intersection and that's when I saw him. His head was down and his ears were back, he looked so sad and defeated. On the other hand, he was black and HUGE!! He was very skinny, but looked like a miniature horse because he was so tall and lanky. I always stopped for strays and wasn't a stranger to rescuing dogs, but something about how big he was scared me and I kept driving. I drove little further when I started to question whether I was a true animal lover if I just drove by because he was intimidating. So, I decided to turn around, stop, meekly yell "doggie....", and happily drive away knowing that I didn't have to feel guilty because I HAD tried. By this time he was working his way behind an office building and was pretty far away from where I pulled over. I softly yelled, "doggie", like I planned and I didn't see anything, so I started to happily get back in my car, still assured that I was a true animal lover and rescuer. That's when I looked up and saw this big, black dog literally leaping and bounding straight for me. I didn't really have time to think about whether I was going to be attacked or mauled, because he leaped right PAST me, went around me ( I was standing between my driver door and my car), and hopped over the drivers seat, into the passenger seat and just looked at me panting like "come on, what are you waiting for?". By this time my heart was pounding and I started having thoughts like, "what have I done?" and "Chris is going to kill me when he comes home" and "I can't get back in the car--what if he eats me!". But I had to get back in the car, and I did, but I was talking baby talk to him the whole way home with the hopes that this would pacify his beastly side, if he had one. After I got home, I realized he was a really sweet dog that had been severly neglected. I called his owners (YES, he HAD tags) and, being the crappy people they were, they didn't come get him. I wasn't going to keep him at first, I was going to find a nice home for him--but he had these EYES!!! He looked at me like I was the love of his life, and he had this thing he would do where his whole face would look really pathetic, except for his eyes, they were pleading with me to love him and keep him because I really don't think that he would have survived a shelter and yet another rejection (I found out he went to a shelter as a puppy, was returned for being too "rambunctious", and after that the case goes cold, except for the sure fact that before me his owners were obviously crappy, neglectful people). He was a very unlikely pet for us at the time because we were living in a one bedroom apartment and he weighed 75lbs, starving and dehydrated. But I knew I had to keep him, no matter what anyone said, and after about 2 days--it was official--I was just as smitten with him as he was with me. I cleaned him, bathed him, took him to the vet, got him vitamins, medicine, cleaned his ears, towards the end of his life I had to wipe his doggie butt--but it was so worth it and if I could have him back I would keep wiping his butt, and whatever else-- just to have him back. I've lost a lot of pets, but I've never been as affected as I was by Chief passing. Everytime I think of him, if I let myself, I could just sob--EVERYTIME. I keep wondering when it will stop. He was probably the only thing in my life, that for 4 yrs, never judged me, loved me for exactly who I am, and was so beyond loyal to me ( I mean he loved everyone, but he never gave anyone else those EYES that he gave me). I called him my lucky dog, because he was with us when I graduated from my Histology program, when we bought our first house, when I got my first REAL job, when I was pregnant, when we had our first child. He lounged with me while I was on bed rest when I was pregnant, he used to get up with me at night when I was feeding Jackson as a newborn, he watched t.v. with me when I had insomnia, he had to be right next to me when I worked out or studied for school.
He was only with us four years, but he was with us for our really important "Firsts". He taught me about survival, love, perseverance, strength, and so much more. It's amazing how much you can learn from a stray dog if you let yourself. He taught me a lot and I'll never forget him.......and to think that I almost didn't stop for him. That still haunts me.

(Photos Below, going across from left to right) 1st: He takes up the whole bed!, 2nd: His mother teresa pose, 3rd: Play fighting with his sister Sadie, 4th: Indecent exposure by Sadie!, 5th: Hangin out with his sis & bro, 6th: Just so sweet, 7th:After he got used to us he slept for 3 days straight, as you tell, he was exahusted