All Dogs Go to Heaven... Don't They?

Things this past week have taken a tragic turn for my own little pack. Yes, I have coming to think of my very unconventional household of myself, Bizz, my landlady Isabelle, her boyfriend Kelvin and their three dogs Pelucci, Truffles and Lucky as my pack.  I rent a house from Isabelle and she, Kelvin and the dogs live in the mother-in-law apartment on the same property. So while I don't share my house we all share a backyard and have become our own little pack.

Sadly, on Sunday, Truffles died.  I was out walking Bizz Sunday morning, a nice leisurely walk on a beautiful sunny day. When I was about half a block from home, out of eyesight but not earshot I heard the most terrible sound. At first I thought it was an animal being killed, then possibly a child screaming. As I got closer to home I soon realized the sound was coming from my own driveway.  When I got there I discovered that Truffles had become ill while in the car with Isabelle, who immediately drove home to Kelvin. Shortly after they got home Truffles passed away.  It was such a shock and poor Isabelle was literally keening and wailing.  Her love for her dogs is so tremendous, she has such a giving generous heart she was just heartbroken.

I gave them their privacy and later we spoke as they prepared to take Truffles to a priest to have him blessed.  Isabelle spoke of how much she'll miss him and we talked about many things including Truffles being in heaven.

I must admit I am not a religious person but as a child my sister told me a story about how when you got to middle school you got to go on a class trip to heaven.  There you would get to see all the relatives who died and went to heaven.  While disillusioned that no such trip was actually going to happen,  I've always treasured the idea that someday you would go and visit all the relatives who passed and I shared with Isabelle my idea of a heaven where my parents and grandparents were all together and with them were all the pets that have passed on through the years.  Surely a dog as sweet and good natured as Truffles would have a place in any heaven.  I assured Isabelle that my mom would have been fussing over Truffles, making sure he felt welcome since being a good hostess was always so important to her, while my stepfather (yes my parents and stepfather are all up there together) was leading him around some celestial garden giving him a lecture on the proper method of composting.   The thought gave her comfort and I admit it made me smile as well.

So I say rest in peace little Truffles.  I will miss his tininess, and his habit of coming to greet me whenever I came out my door.  I remember an evening last winter when I sat outside with all three dogs while Isabelle and Kelvin were out (before Bizz came on the scene) and Truffles just would not stop licking my leg,  I finally had to pick him up to get him to stop only to have him start on my arm.  He was a sweet little guy who will be greatly missed.