Bhudda Foo left this world just yesterday, Friday, December 2nd, 2005 almost 15 years to the day he was born. I remember the ice storm we drove thru to pick up our new little bundle in Cold Spring, MN, and how he slept in his shoebox nearly the entire 3 hour journey south to our home in Rochester, MN. Bhudda enriched my life from that day, and made me wonder how I had ever lived before having a pug. He went to work with me, helped me thru a divorce, and followed me in my dreams to make a permanent move to Alaska. He was always happy, always healthy, and was always up for a game of "boot scootin" in circles around the house as fast as his little legs could carry him. He housebroke in mere days, graduated puppy class with flying colors (though was really more interested in others puppies privates than he was in the lessons). He camped with me on the weekends, and was a hit with all my friends and camping neighbors. Being heavily involved in sled dogs, Bhudda loved watching race starts on the TV, and would bark madly as teams took off from starting chutes. I firmly believe he thought he was chasing them away, as they always ran away when he barked. Bhudda would do anything for a popcorn, and would frequently do his whole regimen of tricks, shake, sit, lay down, roll over, speak, unasked, in his drive to win the prize of a popped popcorn kernel.

When he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure 2 years ago is when I brought Pedro into our lives. Pedro too, is a pug, and he flew all the way from MN to join us in AK. Bhudda defied all odds, and with medication, his heart problems stopped being problems for him. Slowly though, and quickly at the end, he aged before my eyes. He lost his hearing, and then nearly all of his eyesight, and became slow to stand, and his games became less and less. He was content to sleep, content to give kisses, content to just be at my side.

After a fall down the stairs, he hurt his back a few days ago, and the ultrasound showed abnormalities in and around his spleen, and a badly bruised back. Because cage rest was required, for the first time in 15 years he slept away from my side, and in a crate next to my bed. Once his back had healed sufficiently, he was going to have surgery this Monday for the spleen problem. I awoke Friday and opened his cage to find his spirit nearly gone from his body. I pulled him out, lay with him on a soft dog bed, and he left me quietly, and with almost no fuss or resistance, within minutes. My heart is broken, I miss my Bhudda so much. I only wish I had let him sleep with me on that last night, against vet orders, but am grateful he held on til I could cradle him in my arms as he journeyed from this world into the next. My life will never be the same, but is richer for having shared 15 years with the best friend a person could ever have.

I miss you Bhudda and will meet you at the rainbow bridge when the time is right....
Play on, I love you...

Kelley Wemark