Pete: Gone, but never forgotten

Shiba Rawr · #1 11-16-2009, 09:50 PM

On Saturday November 14th 2009, Pete, my beloved Rottweiler/Labrador Retriever/APBT Mix went missing.
We searched hard and long for him on Saturday, and again on Sunday. We put up fliers and prayed and hoped he would return.

On Monday November 16th 2009, our neighbor drove up to our house in a four-wheeler (How classy, right?). This is the same neighbor that would tease our dog through the fence, and talked to my relatives about how much he hated Pete and would kill him if he got the chance. Well, he got his wish. He came over to the house to notify us that he had shot and killed Pete two days previous (Saturday, the day he went missing). This was because he saw him OUTSIDE of his chicken pen. (He didn't harm a single one). He didn't have the decency to give us a call, or let us have his body so we could bury it on our property.

God, I want to ring his neck. All I can think about it revenge, when I know that's not the right thing to do.

I still remember the day we took a routine visit to the local Humane Society. We walked down rows of kennels of barking and crying dogs. A woman who worked there approached us and asked "Are you looking for a dog?"
My mother replied with a half-laugh; "Yeah, we have been for years."
She replied almost urgently; "Have you seen Petrie?" (His name at the time, which quickly changed to Peter and then Pete)
We all shook our heads, and she brought us to him.
There he was laying pathetically in the kennel. He sat up as we approached and wagged his tail, but stayed there.
We read off the paper on the kennel door with all his information, and the lady added that he was going to be euthanized that week because he had been there for MONTHS. We agreed to bring him outside to the play area to see how he acted. He was playful, but sweet. He hadn't been neutered yet, and as a result of the excitement tried to hump our niece that came with us.

We decided that we would indeed adopt him and he would be coming home with us the next day. So the day that we got him he got his neuter surgery.

On our drive home he sat right beside me. I was eating a hamburger (this was before I became a vegetarian) and was surprised that he didn't try to grab it from me. -What a gentleman.
As we arrived home I took him out of the car and man; he tugged on that leash with all his strength!
It was the hottest part of summer, but he couldn't go swimming because of his surgery. However he enjoyed his walks and cuddles with us.

As the years past, I grew even closer him. He became my shoulder to cry on, my sweet Petie Boy~<3

When my friend adopted a Husky mix from the same shelter, "Timber" and Pete became good friends. That was short lived as when Timber got out one day, our neighbor happened to see him and he shot him. Timber made it home, but was near death. Our neighbor went over, finished him off, and buried him on his property.

That was when our neighbor started to hate our dog, and planned to kill him. That's what led to today.

Pete was my Snuggle Buddy/Bubby, my Cuddle Monster, my big Sweet Baby Boy, my Peter Boy, my Bubby.

He was the most gentle, sweet, mellow dog I know. He loved to go on walks and play chase around yard, and finish the day off with a night next to me on my bed.

I'm sorry Pete.
I'm sorry that I didn't notice the fence until after you got out.
I'm sorry that I couldn't save you.
I'm sorry that I couldn't say goodbye, that I couldn't be there with you as you took your last breath. That I couldn't comfort the soul that had comforted me so many times before. That the one time you needed me, I failed to be there for you.
I'm sorry that I took away your chance of finding a better home where you could still be alive, by adopting you.
I'm sorry.

I love you buddy, and I promise that I'll never forget you. I promise I'll meet you on Rainbow Bridge and things will be good again.

~Forever my Snuggle Bubby