Bosco's Rainbow Bridge Pet Loss Memorial

Welcome to Bosco's Rainbow Bridge Memorial Residency

Memories of Bosco

Some dogs hunt, some work farms, some are guard dogs, some are service dogs. Bosco's purpose in life was me. I was his human, the center of his universe. He was like velcro to me. A true companion in every essence of the word. He loved affection and showered it back to me. We spent many mornings going on walks together. He loved riding in my truck, where he would sit on my lap and have his head in the air outside the window. He loved food. He was more human in this area than most dogs. He would sit in the kitchen watching my wife cook, smelling the aroma, and would give her a little bark as to say, give me some please. Of course my wife would spoil him and put a little food on a plate for him. Chicken adobo and rice, pompano and rice, caldareta, scrambled eggs, you name it, he loved it all. Most of all, he loved me. I was the center of his universe. Everything in his life was about me. I would be working at home and he was come lay be me, keeping me company, and he had a look on his face of "I just need to make sure you're ok." He loved going for walks at the park with me and riding in my truck, where he would sit on my lap and have his head out the window enoying the wind in his face. We called him the shoe thief, as he would steal me shoes and socks, and would take them back to his doggy bed and use them as a pillow, much like a child uses a baby blanket to comfort him. He would give you a little growl if you tried to take them back, as if to say, this is mine now, you leave it alone. He loved to be pampered and would showered you back with affection. Belly rubs, back scratches, or just laying by my side, and he was in bliss. He would give so many affectionate doggy kisses back, as if to say, I'm so thankful you are my human. He also had a good concept of time. Every work day he would look out the window around 4:30 or 5pm or wait by the door to the garage, waiting for me to come home, and would bark with glee when I opened the door, showering me with doggie kisses as I bent down to pet him. He also knew when it was Saturday or Sunday, as he would wake me up at 6am to take him outside to go pee, and then we would drive to the park where I would take him for a walk. Some days on the way home from the park, I would spoil him and his dog sister, Leyna. I would stop by the supermarket and get a donut or kolache and share with them. I would take a bite and spit in in my hand and go "a bite for Bosco," do the same for his sister Leyna, and then go "and a bite for daddy." I would repeat until the donut or kolache was all gone. What I'm most grateful is his amazing intuition, knowing when I was in pain and needed comforting. I battled chronic pain and 2 bouts of depression. I would put on a brave face in public and would break down in the privacy of my home. He was there by my side, comforting me, as if to say, I'm with you daddy and we will get through this. And we did, with as much due not only to the medications and therapy, but due to his love and care. The last six months he slowed considerably, and about month and a half ago I suspected he had cancer. A vet appointment a couple of weeks later confirmed this. His last 2 weeks he slowed even more and slept most of the time, but still showered me with affection. As long as I was here, he fought to stay alive and be with me. On his last day, I was working from home. I carried him into the kitchen as he could hardly walk. I cooked him a scrambled egg with some bacon and rice for breakfast. He ate all his breakfast (he hadn't been eating much the past few days) and had some water. He wanted to be with me so he layed next to me while I worked. I had a break in between meetings so I took him to his bed and layed down with him on my bed. He wanted to snuggle me so I put him on the bed, just like when he was a puppy, and rubbed his belly and neck while he showered me with doggie kisses. On his last doggie kiss, he held his head close to mine, as if to say "I will miss you when I'm gone." That evening, he didn't eat dinner, and I noticed a change in his demeanor, a defeated look. About 10 in the evening he started a quiet whimper that got progressively louder, as if it were a cry for help. He was starting to suffer, and had very labored breathing. At midnight, I made the decision to take him to the after hours pet emergency hospital and had him euthanized. I wasn't ready to say goodbye, but it was selfish to me to have him hang on any longer. He was exhausted and suffering, with labored breathing and pain. His duty on earth was done, and he had given me all he had. I held him and talked to him for about 10 minutes, telling him I loved him, thanking him for all of the good times, and being such a good loyal companion. Even though his breathing was very labored, He was very relaxed knowing I was holding and comforting him. He gave me one last doggie kiss on my arm. He died peacefully in my arms now free of pain and waiting for me at Rainbow Bridge.

Photograph Album

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo)