Remembering Sweetie

Day: 177

High Temp: 64 F

It is with a heavy heart that I report to you all that Sweetie, the beloved beagle owned by my parents for the past 14 years, passed away last night. Sweetie was at home, with my parents, when she started having trouble breathing. Shortly after her labored breathing began, she died quietly and calmly.

If you know my family, you know that for the most part we are very much "dog people". Sweetie was a very important part of my family, and was a constant joy to have around. In honor of one of my most favorite dogs of all times, I thought I would share a few of my favorite Sweetie moments.

-Puppy. Seeing her for the first time in the cage at the humane society downtown. We fell in love with her immediately.

-Hide and seek. Sweetie loved to play hide and seek. I always had to hide, but she would literally play for an hour straight.

-Stormy Sweetie. She was terrified of storms, and if we were gone when a thunderstorm hit, we would inevitably find her wiggling her way out from under my mom and dads bed when she heard us come home. Even if the storm had abated hours before, she would wait for us under the bed.

-Bad Dog. My mom and I took a 6 day trip to San Francisco the summer before my senior year of high school. When I arrived home, I realized that Sweetie had been going into my bedroom to pee on my bed each day. Six distinct spots. We guessed that she was so mad at us for leaving her with the boys that this was her revenge. That, or she thought that if she did something naughty, we would come home sooner to punish her.

-PB&J. Sweetie was an infamous beggar, trained on years of table scraps. Her favorite part of the day was when my mom would come home mid-day after working a morning at the floral shop, and they would share a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I think it was my mom's favorite part of the day too!

-Santa's Little Helper. Sweetie was not only adept at unwrapping presents, but she also became a pro at stepping in just the right place on the paper while I was wrapping to leave a big, decorative wrinkle across one side, and maybe even a little tear, for artistic value.

-Squirrel Chaser. Sweetie definitely had the hunting instinct of her breed, and the famous beagle yowl. No squirrel could enter the back yard without a fierce bark from her, followed by a spirited chase up the hill. Terrorizing the squirrels of West County was her favorite pastime, a hobby that she happily taught Homer over Christmas.

-Sweetie and Bandit. While Sweetie always tolerated bigger dogs, she never really liked other dogs much, especially those smaller than her. However, a few summers ago my sister-in-law's sister Ashley brought her white Pomeranian, Bandit, to the house for a visit. The dogs were instantly best friends, and Bandit soon had Sweetie playing with the vigor of a puppy a decade younger.

I know this isn't the most exciting blog post to read, but it helps me to write it, so I appreciate you all bearing with me. Sweetie was a truly wonderful, and very happy dog and I will miss her terribly.