Well, that happened quickly.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the impending loss of one of our canine companions was a 2025 problem. Little did I know how right I was.
My wife and I were in Saskatchewan for the festive season, returning in early January.
While we were away, our three dogs were at the kennel where, by all accounts, Rolo, the canine in question, did alright. We picked them up on Friday, but the poor boy was struggling once we got home on Saturday.
Sunday was even worse, culminating in him collapsing during feeding time, letting out a howl that I don't think I will ever get out of my memory. It was haunting. Once he fell, he was conscious, but he didn't even try to get up again, he just lay there. It was then that we knew it was time to say goodbye.
Fortunately, our vet was available and able to come over and we were able to have him put down before he suffered too much more.
I'm struggling with Rolo's loss. Ever since he came to live with us, he definitely turned into my dog.
And we went on adventures. For quite a few of my photography adventures, I would load him and his brother, Sirius, our old dog, and we'd go exploring. One of my favourite places to take them was the old ghost town of Bulwark, located in the northeast section of Paintearth County, southwest of Brownfield.
While I hadn't taken him out in quite a while, road trips were getting harder for him, they were always fun, even if his fur did get everywhere in the vehicle.
At home, on the rare occasions I get to crash on the couch and watch television, Rolo would curl up by my legs, though don't you dare touch his his feet, and he was an absolute attention hog.
He'd regularly come up to me, putting his head under my hand until I started petting him. If I didn't, he would just sit there with my hand on his head; it was kind of funny, actually.
And he loved his balls, balls of all types. He got a new ball for his birthday a couple of months ago, and he paraded around the house with it. He loved that thing. Even as he was slowing down, he was always up for a game of fetch.
Losing Rolo hurts. Not just because he was a faithful companion, but because of the link he was to the past as well. We inherited Rolo from my wife's sister when she passed away in 2019. His loss is the loss of one more connection to her as well.
While some may wonder why I am getting so torn up over a dog, ultimately, he was a member of the family, and I was a member of his pack.
Losing a family member, any family member, this suddenly will cause a hole in the family dynamic. It's going to cause pain. It's going to cause grief. Humans are not the only ones; our other two dogs have been more subdued since Rolo's loss as well.
Grief is part of nature. It's part of being human. It sucks. It's uncomfortable.
It will be a long time before I walk up the stairs of my house and don't miss seeing him at the top in his usual spot when I am working in the basement.
Still, the positive memories will eventually override the pain, and life will continue.