Saying Goodbye

We had to say goodbye to Casey this week. Casey was our golden retriever, whom we have had for eleven years. We adopted him when he was one from the animal shelter, and he was a loved part of our family ever since.

When we first got him, he went running out of the shelter and went straight to our car. I don't know if he recognized the smell of us or what it was, but we saw it as confirmation that he was *our* dog. He came with the name of Chuck, which we thought undignified for such a regal dog, so we changed his name to Casey.

When we first got him, our youngest was barely four years old. Casey used to jump on him and knock him down to the ground. Casey also always went on walks with us. He'd find a puddle and lay down in it, getting all covered in muddy water, then shake and spray us with the gunk. He loved car rides, sticking his head out the window, ears and tongue flapping in the breeze, he'd happily ride for as long as you would let him. The only time I saw him resist the car was when we moved and he spent two days in the back of our SUV with the suitcases. He was not a happy camper then.

Casey has been a part of my kids childhoods, and my life for a long time. I'm glad we adopted him and gave him a chance at a happy life. He spent the latter part of his life lounging around the house and occasionally chasing a squirrel or rabbit. He' s now buried between two rosebushes in our back yard. I couldn't cremate him. I don't know why.

Thank you for letting me share my memories of Casey. He was loved and will be missed.