Last week was a very difficult and sad one for me, dad and everyone here at Animal Rentals. My best friend Dottie passed away, and we all miss her so much! It’s so hard to get through each day without her warm hugs, friendly smile, and sweet, caring nature. Dottie was a good dog and a great friend who loved everyone…and everyone loved her right back. So today I just wanted to tell you a little bit about Dottie and just how wonderful she was.
Dad was looking for a smart and interesting dog to work with him doing film and television shoots. He got Dottie when she was just a baby, and named her for the multiple spots and dots she had that were part of her blue merle color pattern. That color is pretty special, only a few breeds of dogs can have it. As an Australian Shepherd, a breed also known for their intelligence, loyalty, versatility and protective nature, Dottie was blessed with the silver, black and white swirls and splotches that make up the blue merle pattern.
Dottie was dad’s friend, companion and protector for 14 years. She was great company for him when he was home, and guarded the house when he was away. When I came to live with dad, Dottie was the first one that greeted me and welcomed me to the family. We became fast friends and we loved to play ball – I would throw it and she would catch it, or chase it and bring it back – and then cuddle together on a chair to relax or nap. Dottie was a great cuddler!
Over the years with dad, Dottie greeted lots of different kinds of new domestic and exotic animal friends, and welcomed them to the Animal Rentals family. Some became her playmates, some she watched over lovingly, and some – of course – she wisely kept her distance from (like Purse the American Alligator with his great big mouth full of teeth!). But when Trixie came to live with us Dottie became a mom. She adopted Trixie from the very first moment she laid eyes on her, and helped raise her into the sweet and funny dog she is today. Dottie and Trixie were inseparable from the very beginning, and they just loved loved loved living together.
I’m sure many of you know how bad it feels to lose an animal friend that you love so much. It is sad in so many ways that most animals don’t live as long as human beings. Fourteen years is a pretty good long age for a dog, but we would all have loved for Dottie to stay with us for another fourteen…or longer. As sad as I am and as much as I miss her, I feel a little better remembering what Dottie told me one time:
“Dogs are good at lots of different things but what we are the very best at is love. We make our humans the center of our world, and we love them with every heartbeat, with every breath, and with every ounce of our being. We love them so much that even long after we are gone, they never ever forget how good it felt to be loved that much.”
I was not Dottie’s human, but I, too, will never ever forget how good it felt to be loved that much by her.
Goodbye Dottie, my dear friend. We miss you. We will see you at the foot of the Rainbow Bridge. Thank you for the love.
