Remembering Penny

Now, I haven’t met your dogs. I’m sure they’re all fabulous. I’d like to tell you about my dog. She was the best damned dog ever (at least to me). Actually, to be fair I have to admit that she was Jeff’s dog. But it felt like she was mine. Penny was her name and she has always brought us great luck. Penny was a mutt, mostly Chow. I know this because she had black spots on her tongue. Her markings were also somewhat reminiscent of a Chow.

She had the sweetest temperament. Always happy, patient, loving. The only thing she hated was skateboarders. I think it was her dream to take one down. She never had the chance, I’m glad to say.

Her favorite pasttime was to have her belly rubbed. The minute you would get near her, down on her back she would go. Legs splayed, tail wagging. I defied anyone not to rub her. Sometimes I would get up in the middle of the night and find her sleeping on her back. She did this since she was a puppy. What a goof!

Her other favorite hobby was her ball. You may think, “Ahh, she liked to chase it.” Well, not exactly. She would let it roll under the couch or a table and then whine until someone would get it for her. Even if it was well within her reach. This was, of course, somewhat annoying, but everyone is a pain sometimes, right?

Penny loved to eat pizza crusts. So do I, so needless to say, she never got mine. But Jeff always gave his crusts to her. Now he gives them to me.

Penny died last Monday. She had advanced cancer. The x-rays showed tumors all over her lungs. Up until two weeks ago, she seemed fine. She ate well, played happily. About a week ago her breathing became very shallow and she stopped eating. She died peacefully at home in Jeff’s arms surrounded by her loved ones.

I now imagine her in Dog Heaven where she’s chasing balls, having her belly rubbed and eating pizza crusts. Who knows, maybe she’s even taking down a skateboarder or two. All I know is that her sweet little smile will always live in my heart.