Sparky OUR PUPPY

Today the family dog, Sparky was put to rest. Sparky was 13 years old, he had heart and breathing problems. As a Family, we tried the best we could to nurse him back to health and hope that some good could come from it. We brought him to the Vet and was told that all we could really do was keep him comfortable and not exert him. We tried but OUR PUPPY was just to sick and old like all living things get after a certain age. And like all sad occasions, what brings comfort is remembering and talking about how he was. The good times, the fun and exciting times.So here goes.
I was the newcomer to the family 10 years ago. At the time Sparky was living with Gerri. I had come to find out that Sparky was picked out by her son Stevie and that he was away at college and that is why Gerri had Sparky. Anyway, I will never forget my first time visiting Gerri who at the time I had just started to date. I walked in the house and this gorgeous white ball of fur came running towards me. I really didn't know if I should run back out of the house or let him do whatever it was he did to newcomers. As it turned out, he got up on his hind legs, tongue out tail wagging and allowed me into the family. Sparky and I bonded so quickly.He gravitated towards me. He loved the both of US.I always said Sparky HATED females lol. As time went on, I moved in with Gerri and Sparky and we had our own little family going along with 5 cats. I remember SPARKY getting skunked. MAN did he STINK. That old wives tale about tomato juice and skunk smell?? DO NOT believe it, it made the stench worse. We took SPARKY to the groomers who performed a miracle and got the stench out of him. So what happened 3 days later?? He got SKUNKED AGAIN... One day after he just got groomed,he was silky smooth, shiny white and all perfumed up, we let him out to WEEWEE and he came back with red sauce all over his face. We STILL don't know where he got that from. My job as it is has really crappy hours. I would leave at 2 AM and get home around noon time. Sparky there to greet me at the door and we would go in that yard so he could WEEWEE... When we got back in he was always jumping and making sudden moves to the back of the house. I would tease him because he knew what TIME it was. It was BED TIME.He would bark, turn to run to the back of the house and I would sit there. he would sit at my feet and when I said Come on Spark BED TIME he would take off at like 50MPH to the bedroom and leap up on the bed. Me and "Spark" were sleeping buddies. I would get comfortable and when I stopped moving he would curl up against me. Eventually Stevie came back from school and Sparky gravitated towards him. Stevie and Sparky were inseparable. The love those 2 had for each other was an amazing thing to watch. Gerri and I would go on vacation and when we got back if Stevie was behind us he would ZOOM right past our open arms and into his. Time came where Stevie met his bride and they had to go out on there own. Gerri told Stevie that Sparky would be heart broken if he stayed with us so he went on his merry way with Grace and Stevie. Gerri and I would look after "SPARK" every so often and like old times he would listen for the BED TIME SPARK and ZOOOOOOOOM to the bed. Now remember what I said earlier about SPARKY NOT liking females? Well SPARKY initiated Grace one day while they were home. Grace was a relative newcomer to SPARKY. Story goes, Stevie Grace and SPARKY were lying in bed. Grace called SPARKY over to lie on her stomach which SPARKY gladly did. Next thing you know, POW throw up all over Grace's face.... Sorry grace, SPARKY Stevie and I had a MAN thing going.
SPARKY was just that. A SPARK. Running, playing, doing what dogs do. He LOVED baths, LOVED pulling whatever poor bastard was walking him at the time because we couldn't be fast enough for him. What a JOY, a PLEASURE and a FRIEND he was. Time wore on OLD SPARKY. SPARKY was my first PUPPY here UPSTATE in Westchester. I am already missing OUR PUPPY but the good times we had will make us all get though this difficult time.
OUR PUPPY SPARKY will be missed greatly BUT NEVER EVER FORGOTTEN. Take care and rest peaceful BUDDY.. Love you............