A Good Dog Down

Mr. Joey and I don't have any pets. I really want a dog but we can't have them in the apartment. Mr. Joey is lobbying for a Vietnamese Potbelly pig. He says if they are good enough for Clooney (as in George) then they are good enough for us. Even though we don't have a dog together, I do have a dog -- Mieko. He's been part of the family for 13 years. He's half shar pei and half lab. Think of a dog that looks like a lab but is the size of a shar pei -- that's him.

When we picked out venues for the reception and ceremony, we didn't really consider having him be our ring dog. He hates crowds. Turns out that both our venues don't allow animals inside. No big deal since he wasn't taking part in the actual big day. The rehearsal dinner was another story. When we visited the house where the dinner is going to take place, I thought to myself, 'Hey, Mieko can come too.' The group will be small and he'd know most of the people there. I don't have to worry about him jumping into the lake or the pool because he hates water. He'd be happy just smelling all the new smells and rolling around on the pretty grass. Perfect.

Mieko enjoying Thanksgiving a few years back

Well, this happy evening isn't going to happen as planned. Our beloved dog has passed away this week. It was hard. It was sad. It was kind of sudden, but it was time. I really wish he could have been part of all the excitement of the wedding but I'm really glad he's not suffering anymore. When he passed, his liver was only working at 13% of its functionality.

I don't have a question for this post, just a request. For all of you who are lucky enough to have pets in your life, give them an extra rub, scratch or hug tonight.