Good-bye Sweet Buddy




Heads together in play!





Still handsome in his old age.

So here is my Buddy! He passed away on March 22, 2011.  What a delightful loving dog he was. Sick from the age of six weeks, he plowed through life with the grace of a champion.  He took so much medicine and got so many shots, he became afraid of my touch, at which point, I took him off of all of it. He went to a doggy dermatologist for his awful skin problems.  He scratched daily to the point of bleeding...but his heart was strong and so sweet.  He loved people, animals and his baby brother and sisters that kept joining the pack.

At any given time you could see him on his back with the puppies hanging on his lip or ears or lying on top of him.  He never minded.  He had such a gentle heart.  My mother lived next door and when she was sick, he would pull me over to her front door and sat at the bottom of her chair every single day to keep her company.  They both loved the company.

 About six weeks before he died the vet diagnosed him with cancer.  He had many fatty tumors and the vet checked each one because golden retrievers get cancer a lot.  Everyone was negative until the last one that grew in his belly.  It was odd because Bella my 4 yr. old cockapoo, would not leave his side for the past six months....and I wondered... was Bella doing what Buddy had done for my mother? Then his belly got so big.... so suddenly.... that we took that fateful trip to the vet.

The day he died was like everyone before them. He went outside after eating and walked back in the house...and then his back legs collapsed and he looked a me with panic in his eyes....and I knew.

Lymphoma.... His brother Petey died of this 2 years before. Romeo the English Bulldog died from this at 22 mos. and now our Buddy. This particular cancer caused tumors to bleed... but I got him to the vet before any pain.  At least I pray that I did. He died peacefully in my arms.

When I arrived home, Bella smelled him on my pants and grabbed onto them and cried...for about an hour.  She was depressed for 2 weeks but came out of it because she loves to play with her brother and sister.

Dogs enrich your life so much...and when they die, a little piece of your heart goes with them.

I love you Buddy and I hope you're having the time of your life with Petey, Romeo, Beethoven, Sasha, Natasha, Katia, Brownie, Duchess Nutmeg, Napolean, Bentley Peter, Brandy Alexander, and all your other friends. 



 I had a talk with Nico, Buddy...and he's having trouble taking over your duties as man of the house.  If you have anything to teach him....if you can reach him...I would appreciate the help!  He can't seem to get that quiet grace thing like you had....he's more like the goofy jokester.

We miss you...and will always love you....you touched our hearts and brought us love each and every moment you were with us.

Good-bye dear friend.



























The man of the house looks after his brother and sister!





Ever patient with the influx of new puppies, Buddy let them chew on his ears or lip or whatever!



He loved to play and eat snow!



His brother Petey pre-deceased him by two years.  We brought them home on the same day.