Pete... One Top Dog!

The world suffered a big loss yesterday... Pete passed on.

"Who was Pete," you may ask? Well, hold on to your seats when I say this: He was one of the very few dogs that I truly liked.

You see, I grew up a "cat person." I know... we're an odd group. Lord knows I've tried to like dogs (as some of you know). I even like fish better than dogs. Dogs and I haven't always gotten along... maybe it was the time I got bitten as a child. Or maybe we just don't mesh. I figured, "one dog is the same as every other dog."

But Pete wasn't like most dogs. He was special in his own right, and truly has an amazing story... a story that is worth telling.

About 7 years ago, my friend Laura was looking for a dog. She had just moved into her house in Plano, and was seeking security... and companionship. Fortunately, she had some friends who were driving through one of our busy highways in the Metroplex and noticed a skinny dog running in the median.

Yep... it was Pete. He was about 6 months old and full of love! When Laura and Pete met, it was a perfect match.

At the time, Laura had a lot on her hands. She was extremely busy in both her professional and church life, and now had a "baby" to take care of. Like anything, she grabbed the reins and went full-force. Pete got all of the care (probably much more than most dogs!) and love he needed. Not only that, but Laura took on training him.

To say Pete was "obedient" would be an understatement. She trained him extensively, and it showed! And the reward? He got to play ball...

Besides Laura, Pete's numero uno joy in life was playing ball! You could sit outside for hours and throw that slimy tennis ball over and over and over. He would run after it, bring it back, and drop it at your feet... just panting and waiting for you to do it all over again!

Man, I loved that dog!

Well, in recent years, Pete started to develop some bumps. These bumps were tumors. Laura did everything to help him. About a year ago, Pete underwent major surgery. You can notice that in his face above... although, hanging out with him, you'd swear he never knew there was any difference in his appearance.

Besides... he just wanted to run and play ball!

The last time I saw our hero, he was livin' life like a prince. Laura kept him inside more, he was a little heavier, and life was fine with him... just as long as we played ball. That was New Year's...

In the past few months, the bumps returned. This time, it became worse. According to Laura, his face got more swollen - his tumors were back. His eye even closed up.

This week, the ball playing stopped. Laura tossed the ball to him. When he brought it back, he just laid down. It was time...

As you can imagine, this decision was very difficult for Laura. Pete was her child. Her sweet, faithful, loving child. When she called me last night to break the news to me, I was shocked... and saddened... because I knew her heart was broken. As was mine...

But you know what? She was strong. She told me what was getting her through it: Pete had impacted numerous lives. When she brought him to the clinic, the entire staff paid their respects. One of the staff members walked Pete around the entire office so people could say their good-byes... it was a telling moment.

So Pete is gone... but he will never be forgotten. He was truly a special dog... friend... and family member.

I was better for knowing him...