Online Memorials

Buddy

2016

The first thing you would notice about Buddy (aka Danny) were his ears. His beautiful prominent ears! The markings almost looked as though he went to the hair salon for several meticulous hours – gorgeous strands of black, silver, and white, cropped in a way that was impossible to ignore. They went straight up like sails on a schooner whenever you scolded him to stand-down from his lookout post on the couch -- after barking incessantly at that constant imminent threat lurking outside of our balcony window. At times, you knew he was listening to our conversations intently as his big ears stood out to the sides like pom-poms while his little inquisitive head tilted constantly from side-to-side. “Is mommy making me another gourmet meal?” You knew he was thinking it. His ears were the focal point of his expressions.

And how expressive and independent he was! One could say he had a splash of…’rebellious punk’. Well, more than a few splashes, perhaps.
He would not hold back on telling you what was on his mind. He developed a strong reputation for being lovingly cantankerous. He and he alone would determine where he would sit. At one particular moment, he insisted on being alone. Later in the night, he would plop himself on your lap. You have a problem with that?! You better keep your opinion to yourself!! If you decided you needed to move your hand to attend to an itch, you would be sternly and consistently growled at – in increasing levels of seriousness. The itch, as they say, could wait. And if you were so foolish as to ignore his explicit warnings, you may find a little surprise. A little brown surprise placed ever so neatly and deliberately inside of your shoe. He did that to me twice.

He was a rebel of sorts, hardened by the time he was neglected by his previous owners. It made him who he was. But it didn’t break him. Underneath that tough persona was a sweet little dog who could not resist giving you a generous barrage of gentle licks to your face. He was tough and hardened, but beyond affectionate. Always a loving and dear friend to Kaiya, his cute little mannerisms and behaviour, like tucking in his left paw when he lay down or standing straight up on his hind legs to get a better view (not to mention his love of dancing), were priceless to us all. These little idiosyncrasies (there were so many) would cheer us up each and every day without fail. Every so often, he loved wrestling and playing tug-o’-war with his doggy brother, Green. And, I must say, he left quite an impression on Green. His brother often imitated his brother’s behavior – especially when he did “the worm” on his back (another one of Buddy’s quirks). Earlier this year, Missy became the latest member of our family. Buddy accepted her fully and often took a nap while snuggled close beside her. Being a rescue dog herself, I’m sure this helped provide Missy much comfort to help her become more trusting.

We are beyond fortunate, thanks to Ocean Rescue and our friend Renee, to have been able to give him the home he must have so dearly missed early in his life. We hope the almost 5 years of unconditional love and happiness we provided you, Buddy, were enough to make up for those dark years. You were so young and you certainly deserved more! You made quite a mark with those who knew you – both doggies and humans!

We will try to live each day to its fullest, just like you showed us.

Enjoy the infinite peace you now have, Buddy! See you in our dreams.