Dear Friend of Mine, Bob

A man may smile and bid you hail
Yet wish you to the devil;
But when a good dog wags his tail,
You know he's on the level

"Some roads aren't meant to be travelled alone

 

We had just lost our loyal yellow lab/golden retriever Brandi.  She had been Tisha’s dog.  We inherited Brandi when T died.  Brandi was a link to our beautiful daughter – and now Brandi was gone. 

We decided not to replace her.  A month later, Nancy said she needed another dog – and the search was on.  After a number of rejections for various reasons, Lab Rescue brought us a skinny, not attractive yellow lab/golden retriever with kennel cough that they had just found wondering the streets of Pomona.  This dog was in sad shape, but for some reason he connected to both Nancy and I. 
 

Bob found a home!
 

From that day on, Bob was a faithful companion wagging his tail millions of times over.  Meeting every car that drove into our drive-way.  Bob brought a calming, gentle joy to our home.  He seemed to be a great listener, never complained and with his large, gentle eyes seemed to understand.  Bob had only one job at our house: keep the hot-air balloons from landing in our yard as they flew over.  In his 11 years, he never failed in his job.

I believe we gave Bob a great home.  One acre of land, avocados for the picking, a skunk a month to sniff, a possum family once a year to play with and great friends walking by each day, with their humans, wanting to play with Bob.
 

We knew that our friendship couldn't last forever and we dreaded the day that we would have to give him back to the earth.  I hated the thought of it and hate it even more now.  Bob passed away today, June 1, 2015.   Bob is buried in our yard with his now famous sign hanging in the Purple Robe Tree we planted in his honor.

 

My dad told the story of a teary eyed little girl who showed up to church just after her beloved dog had died.  The pastor heard about it and so went to talk with her.  The little girl told him what had happened and then asked "Will my dog be in Heaven"?  The pastor said, "Sweetheart, if it takes your dog being in heaven for you to be happy, then he'll be there." 

I believe there is some truth in that.  King Solomon, some say the wisest man to ever live, wrote about animals having a spirit and that that spirit goes somewhere.
 

In the last book of the Bible, Revelation, God teaches us that the present universe in which we live will go away and will be replaced with a new heaven and a new earth. God also says that He will make all things new. For these reasons, I believe it to be a definite possibility that our pets will be made new and that those who are children of God will be reunited with them.

My Favorite True Dog Loyalty Story

In Edinburgh, Scotland 1856, wherever Auld Jock (John Gray) went, his best friend, Bobby, followed close behind. In just a few short years, the two developed quite a friendship as constant companions.

In 1858 Auld Jock fell ill with tuberculosis and died, leaving Bobby all alone in the world.

He was buried at Greyfriar's Kirkyard cemetery with nobody but the gravedigger and his faithful furry companion, Bobby, attending the funeral.

There was a ban on dogs entering the cemetery and despite efforts to prevent him, Bobby would find a way to sit next to Auld Jock every day.
 

During 1867, it looked like for a while that Bobby, without an owner, would be taken off the streets and be put to sleep. Thankfully, Edinburgh's Lord Provost, Sir William Chambers stepped in and paid for Bobby's dog license renewal, to which he became a ward of the city's council.
 

For 14 years, Bobby could be found at his best friend's gravesite. To sustain him during his long vigils at the cemetery, he would receive a meal daily at 1 p.m. at the Greyfriar's Dining Room.

In 1872, when Bobby died, he was buried beside the grave of his adored Auld Jock, having been awarded ‘Freeman of the City' status. Having touched the hearts of all who knew him and his plight to watch over Auld Jock, Greyfriars Bobby was the only dog ever to have been awarded this.

The Scotsman newspaper archives reveal the obituary of a Skye Terrier on January 17th, 1872 and a statue was erected in his honor. Upon it reads, "Greyfriars Bobby. Died 14th January 1872 aged 16 years old. Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all."

 

What a day it will be when I see Bob again -- dear friend of mine.  For he will be standing next to Brandi wagging his tail and licking Tisha's hand.