On Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, Buddings Daycare dog Benson Poodle was able to get out for a nice walk in the sun, passing through our old neighbourhoods and favourite East Van parks, to the vet we’ve been seeing for most of our 11 years together. She gave him a heavy sedative so he wouldn’t feel anything, and an overdose of anesthetic. He died in my arms, and I wanted to let everyone know he had the best life I could give him. I am grateful for every day we were together, and happy I could see him off so peacefully at the end.
He was old, and sick. He was blind in at least one eye, and his kidneys were failing. He was confused, and anxious, and he ran into things in his panic when he didn’t know where I was. Over the weekend, he stopped eating, and cried whenever he woke up. Sometimes, he couldn’t stand, but he was well enough that morning to walk, and everyone who saw him smiled. He has always made people smile.
He was a senior dog when I adopted him (7+ years, at the time), and he has been constantly at my side. I was patient with him, and I let him be the dog he wanted to be. He repaid me with whole-hearted, unwavering doggy devotion, with every breath in his body dedicated to me.
He worked at the daycare since the day we opened, and before that, he rode on my bike basket for cycling advocacy. He was in newspapers and magazines, and everywhere he went, people thought he was so cute.
But he was a one-person dog.
The kids have always loved Benson and he’s made the daycare special to so many of them. He hasn’t been around as much lately, but the older ones, who remember him, ask me where he is.
As always, I will try to tell them the truth: Benson was old, and tired, so the vet helped him go to sleep. He was safe in my arms and his life went out of his body. Now he’s not tired anymore, and he’s in my heart, where I will always love him.
I hope that’s okay.
Rest in Peace, poodle-pie.
I will always love you.