Man's Best Friend

They say dog is man's best friend. This entry is 100% proof of that statement.

My dog Spot died in his sleep on April 24, 2011, Easter Sunday. They say all dogs go to Heaven; he couldn't have picked a better day! He had his 15th birthday on March 23rd. And for those who are wondering, Spot was a lab/coonhound mix. His mom was a chocolate lab and I'm not exactly sure the exact breed of hound the father was.

I got Spot at the end of first grade, right before summer. I know Spot isn't the most original name for a dog, but give me a break, I was 6. I think it was actually pretty creative on my part. I considered Socks because of his four white paws, Ace because it was the name of my grandparents' dog when I was little and Buddy because that's what I called him half the time anyway, but I chose Spot because right in the middle of his forehead was a white spot.

I don't really have that many memories of our first summer together, but the memories I have will last a lifetime. The first memory I have of Spot is one in the days after he was born. (He and the rest of his brothers and sisters were born next door to our neighbor's dog.) I think there were 13 puppies in the litter, but I'm honestly not sure. What I am sure of though is that Spot was the second puppy I picked up. He snuggled right into my hands and then bit my finger. Somehow, I knew at that moment, Spot was going to be my dog.

The next memory I have of Spot was during our first summer together. I'm not sure how far into the summer it was, but it was while he was still with the rest of the litter. We were playing in the side yard and I was sitting on top of a small rock wall about 2-3 feet high. I threw an old ball or some sort of toy for him to chase, but one of his brothers got to it first. Spot never really was the confrontational type. He just turned around and looked at me and started to sprint. Once he got close, he jumped right into my outstretched arms. I hadn't moved. This puppy jumped 2 and a half feet into the air!  After that, he just looked at me. Tongue out and little tail wagging, he just looked up at me, happy and curious with his brown eyes. We were the only things that mattered to each other at that moment.

Fast-forward 12 years to June 2008, right after I graduate high school. It didn't take me long until I realized that that summer would be just as important as our first summer together, if not more. The past 12 years had changed a lot for Spot and me, especially Spot. He went from being a puppy to an adult, to beginning to grow a white goatee instead of his jet-black fur. Along with looking more distinguished, he also started to develop arthritis in his back legs. In the 12 years I skipped, Spot became my best friend. He became the keeper of every secret I ever had: secrets I laughed about, secrets that made me cry, what girls I liked, what my future plans were that particular night, how I was frustrated with not getting more playing time in basketball and hundreds more that I've forgotten. With Spot's arthritis getting worse by the week, I knew that leaving him at home was going to be one of the toughest things I'd ever done. The night before I left for Charleston I just sat and talked with Spot on the back porch for what seemed like the entire night. I think in real time it was about 2 hours. Somehow, I think he knew something was going to change.

I told my mom and dad that if Spot died I wanted them to call me and come get me. I was going to be the one to bury my dog. I didn't care if it was in the middle of the week, class didn't matter. I was going to go home and give my dog a proper goodbye.

I didn't come home from CofC for the first time until fall break of freshman year, about two and a half months since I'd last seen Spot. The second I walked out the back door on that warm October afternoon, Spot hauled across our backyard and started licking my face, something he hadn't really done since he was a puppy. I hadn't seen him move like that in over a year. That whole break, he walked around without any sign of pain or arthritis.

The last time I got to spend a decent amount of time with Spot was during my spring break this year. When I walked out onto the porch, which we had blocked off at the steps because Spot would fall trying to climb, Spot was walking at the bottom of the steps. He just stopped, barked and jumped! He looked like a Pogo stick!! I started laughing because I couldn't, and still can't remember a time when he jumped like that.

The last time I saw Spot was a few weekends ago when I went home for a doctor's appointment. I will always remember April 10, 2011. It was the last time I got to say goodbye.

Mom called me last night at 8:30 and told me that Spot died in his sleep on Easter night and they had to bury him. I'll spare you from the emotional roller coaster ride I was on last night, but I'd just like to publicly thank Kevin and Steve-o for getting me out of my funk! Seriously, thanks guys!

Even though I said I wanted to bury him, I know it's probably for the best that I didn't. Spot was more than a dog to me. He was my friend, my best friend, heck, I guess you could even call him my son. He always knew that he was my dog. Dad's voice was much more powerful than mine when I was younger, but if Dad told him to do something and he didn't do it, he would if I told him to. If Dad and I both told Spot to come to us, he would go to me every time. He was a good dog.

I know I could've dug the grave for Spot, I've had the place in the yard picked out for years now, but there is no way I could have buried him. Filling in the dirt and covering my best friend for good would've just been too hard. It would've been too final.

All dogs go to Heaven...
The Bible doesn't say anything about pets running around up there, but I'd like to believe that when I die, Spot is going to be right there, waiting for me, just like he did when he was a puppy.

The picture of Spot and me was taken on August 21, 2010. It was about 15 minutes before I left home for Charleston for the school year. It's the last picture ever taken of us together.