Chance

Chance, better known as Deeky, was the dog of my heart.  He started out as my son's Beagle. I babysat him and fell immediately in love.  He was very naughty as Beagles tend to be.  He dug under the fence and got away, he chewed up anything he could get his teeth on, including the carpet on the steps of the house my son was renting. Since I would often "Steal" him from my son, he finally gave Chance to me.  It was the best birthday present I ever received.  He was a good boy at our house because we had two other dogs to keep him company.  He slept with me, went on vacations with me, and was always by my side.  He got sick and the Vet didn't know what was wrong.  She thought he had re-injured his leg since it was swollen. She sent us home on pain meds.  They didn't help, so we went back in the next day and she did some blood work and changed the pain meds.  He did eat that night and showed a little interest in life.  The next day, he got worse as the day progressed.  His leg became hugely swollen, I took him to the Emergency Vet and he died as we pulled into the parking lot.  They tried to revive him, but he was gone and I told them to stop.  I was by myself, and I don't know how I survived those next hours.  I held him and cried and then had to call my husband and let him know.  He was devastated.  The drive home is a blur, I probably shouldn't have been behind the wheel. The next few weeks were the worst of my life.  I was so desperate, I even called an animal Psychic.  That was a waste of money, but I was desperate to know he was alright and didn't blame me for not doing enough.  I went into my Vet and told her we needed to talk.  I really blamed her for taking it too lightly.  She then explained his blood work came back the day after he died and it was not good.  She said he probably had some kind of cancer.  I made my peace with that and she felt really bad. 

That was five years ago, I still miss him like it was yesterday.  I have a stuffed Beagle I sleep with and we put some of Chances ashes inside it, so I feel like he is still with me.  That stuffed Beagle goes everywhere with me.  I have other dogs in my life and I love them very much, but there will never be another Deeky.  His devotion, funny antics, and unconditional love truly made him my boy forever.