It all Started in Hobart

At least that is what I called him. And I don’t even know what to say. Maverick is gone. Just like that. So sudden and unexpected that I haven’t even processed that we had to make the decision. But here we are. So in honor of “Sir Fluffy Butt”, let me tell you a story.

Maverick was born on March 3rd, 2013. When Tami went to go see a litter of golden retriever puppies, he was the one that picked her. Quiet and reserved up until their meeting, Maverick (the just the unnamed puppy) brought her a toy and wouldn’t leave her alone. So making her choice easy she agreed to coming back when he was old enough to adopt. When she came back she was asked to pick him out of the bunch (just to see if she could). And she had no problem doing it. And so the first steps of a decade long adventure are taken.

Now, I was only around for the last 4 years of that adventure, but I wouldn’t trade them away for anything. I got to know the kindest dog I have ever heard of. He was shy, not getting up from under the chair Tami was sitting on when I first met him when I joined Tami for a beer at a brewery. He was sensitive as well, loud noises, and even the wind, would send him to one of us for comfort. And it took him a few years to be around our bon fires, for fear of the initial whoomph.

We had all sorts of fun together, going for hikes in the snow, down to the river, or just out to a brewery to sit and relax. We even went all the way down to Crescent City and up the Oregon coast so that he could play in the water. It was his favorite thing. It didn’t matter what form the water came in, if it was out there he was in it. We were thinking about putting a pool in to make it easier for him to get his swims in even.

He was a happy, healthy dog. I had never heard of a 10 year old Golden Retriever who didn’t have any health concerns. We had only been keeping an eye on some inflammation in his hips. That was all. We had only just started to actually treat his stiffness when he got sick. I just wish he could have had a more comfortable and happier last 24 hours. And that we could have planned for this.

Dogs are something special. They really are. I know that I am better for having gotten to spend the time that I did with Mav. And I was lucky that I got as much of him as I did.

I am going to miss him…