Saying Goodbye to Our Dear Lucky Boy
I am not sure how many of my readers have followed me through the years, but some of you may have seen my dear Lucky in my posts and videos. I actually wrote a blog post called, “My Dog Needs a Blog” when I had the site, thepainteddrawer.com. Every time he heard my camera, he would appear and sit in front of whatever piece I was taking a photo of. He was so funny!
Lucky was a schnauzer that I first saw in a pet store’s cage. I had taken my kids inside to look at the puppies for fun, and we stopped in front of his cage and Lucky looked at me. A few days later I couldn’t stop thinking of him. He was too big for the cage, and he wasn’t as young as the other puppies there. I went back and when I entered, he looked at me and jumped up, and I knew he remembered me. That was all it took. The woman told me that I could have him for half price, because he had been there for too long. We brought him home and the poor dog had never walked on grass before. He was stepping on it as if he was walking on hot coals.
Lucky would have been 16 years old this February 14. My daughter, Sophie was 3 when we brought him home that day and she is now a sophomore in college. Lucky was home with me all those years when my kids were little. He came to every park with us to play, he was on all our vacations - Disney, camping, Lake George, Amagansett. He was in my car for errands or long drives. He loved those days and so did I.
When I started painting furniture, he was in the garage with me at all times. He didn’t need a leash. He would just hang out with me while I worked. He was so happy when he saw me put on my apron and open that garage door! I started selling my furniture at a barn sale and he loved coming with me and chasing the farmer’s horses. His wife was not pleased!
When the kids were in their teens, I started working outside of the house. I still have that job but I know Lucky missed me being home with him. He would still get excited when he saw my paint brush come out.
This past year he became very old very quickly, and the past few months were hard. He had lost his hearing and most of his eyesight, and yet he could still make out other dogs on leashes if we passed them, and he would still growl at them as he always did. He was fiercely loyal, and although a small breed dog, he was tough as nails. He was always the boss at his neighborhood dog meetups and didn’t let any other dogs come close to us without first sniffing them out. He was an amazing pet.
Lucky died at home, in his bed, with his family by his side. It was 5am last Thursday morning, and my husband took him out to use the bathroom. What an amazing dog. He went and came back inside and collapsed. My husband sat with him and realized the end had come. He got us up so we could say goodbye. Lucky was home, he was not in pain, he was not hungry (he ate his dinner the night before), or in need of any assistance. His body was just done. He was too old to continue. We were petting him and telling him what a good boy he was when he left us.
We will miss him forever. We were so Lucky to have had him in our lives.
