Requiem for a Terrier

Banjo

“If there are no dogs in Heaven,
then when I die I want to go
where they went.” Will Rogers

My wife Amy held him as he went to sleep for the last time. The biggest heart I’ve ever known stopped beating.  And at that exact moment, our hearts were broken.

Banjo the Border Terrier was gone.

Another pancreatic storm had viciously struck; this time even as he was medicated.  The vet called us at 9:30 p.m. and the family went over to say goodbye.  He died surrounded by his pack– the people he loved most.

Dogs are like snowflakes: No two are alike. And Banjo was definitely one of a kind. What he may have lacked in brains, he made up for in heart. He was the kind of dog who always wanted to be with you.  If you were on the couch, he was right there. If you were crying, he would try to comfort you.  He greeted you when you got home like you were the Allies liberating Paris — Never has there been such daily jubilation.  He was fiercely protective of his territory and his pack. Lord help a squirrel or dog who entered our yard.

The first time I saw him was when he was six. He was a rescue dog and we were his adoptive family there to meet him. He walked across the breeder’s tile basement floor to greet us. I’ll always remember the big Border Terrier grin on his face.

It was love at first sight.

He loved sleeping next to my then-infant middle son. The two of them developed a special bond.  My son was Banjo’s boy.  My son is devastated today.

And so am I.  Like my wife and I told my son, this is the hardest part of pet ownership. It’s so difficult to say goodbye to a creature who becomes a member of your family. But we know that eventually another dog will come into our lives. There is no way we would miss out on that kind of love.

He lived 14 1/2 years — a good run for a terrier.  It’s an even more amazing run when you consider he battled diabetes for his last four years. That was a daily challenge for us as pet owners. It was a battle to make sure we regulated his blood sugar correctly. In the end, pancreatitis caused him to suffer.  He suffered a bad bout of it a year ago and the storms started coming more frequently.  Stress and worry caused flair ups. So did diet. He nearly died a month ago from an vicious attack that caused his diabetes to go out of control.  That left him weakened. Another attack Friday night nearly killed again.  He recovered just enough for my family to get home from a trip.  And then a third attack ravaged him again last night.  Hunched over, glassy eyed, whimpering and hardly unable to stand, he told us it was time.

We could not allow him to suffer any more.

Thanks to everyone for your love, prayers and support of our amazing dog. He was my buddy, my friend and at times my muse.  I’ve owned several great dogs in my lifetime. None have touched my heart quite the same way as Banjo.

Good night Banjo. I worry about you because I know how much you must miss your pack. But know that we’ll always love you. And we look forward to the day we can rub your  soft ears once again.