ping-pong

My best dog ever, Pongo, died yesterday morning. He was the dog we got when my dad and sister and I went to Casper one day and decided to adopt a puppy, even though my mom had said NO! We brought him home, this tiny little bundle of fur, and when my mom came home and saw him, she said, "What is that?" We said, "Duh, Mom, it's a dog!" She then replied, "Well, what is it doing here?" She eventually learned to love him, though she would pet him most when she thought people weren't looking. :) We named him Pongo, because he looked like those tiny little puppies from 101 Dalmations after they had rolled in the soot and then got rain drops on them. My grandpa always called him Ping-Pong. He was the dog that had to take a stuffed animal with him while on a walk to the mailbox once. He was the dog that always slept at the foot of my bed. He was the dog that loved car rides, but hated hotel rooms, so he was happier sitting in the car looking at the door to our room. We'd have to drag him in the room to go to sleep. He was the dog who knew I was moving to college and wouldn't drop his tennis ball to give me a lick goodbye- I cried more about leaving my dog than I did about leaving my parents! He was the dog that would pick up his stuffed football and do a victory lap around the house every time we yelled, "TOUCHDOWN!" He was the dog that somehow got into a zipped tight backpack, into a Ziplock bag, and opened a big bag of chocolate cookies and ate every single one of them. He was the most gentle dog in the world, and I'm going to miss him so much. He turned 14 years old last August and had recently gotten pretty sick. He had always suffered from a thyroid condition that was regulated with medication and a strict diet, but the vet discovered a tumor on his bladder a couple months ago. I knew when I saw him at Christmas that it would be the last time. I cried for miles after saying goodbye to him at Christmastime and I'm still crying today after receiving the news that my mom and dad had to put him to sleep yesterday after he took a severe turn for the worse on Friday. They said he was snoring before the injection was even finished, so they knew he was happy with their decision. And I'm glad he won't be sick and suffering anymore, but I'm sure going to miss my dog. He was most definitely the best dog ever. Hopefully he's up in Heaven with my grandpa, so Grandpa and Ping-Pong can keep each other company.