30 November 04

Loss

A friend has just lost her guide dog, Bruno. He had cancer for a while and it finally caught up with him.

Losing a dog is awful. Losing a dog who helps you get around, is your eyes, your legs, who picks things up you can’t find, who gets you past those awkwardnesses when people don’t know how to respond because you’re in a wheelchair, so that even strangers come up to you and start conversations, who kisses you when you cry because let’s face it the world’s a pretty bleak place right now, who allows your partner to go to work without worrying—losing this, I can’t really imagine.

Bruno attended Code Pink rallies in a pink bandana, wagging his tail and smiling at everyone. He sat at the ACLU table at the Farmers’ Market, encouraging people to take literature, warning them about Ashcroft, grinning through his graying Labrador jowls. He was a true activist, a true friend. He was a Good Dog with a fondness for cookies.

He’ll be missed…

Posted by at 07:01 PM in Miscellaneous | Link |
  1. That’s really sad. Your friend must be devastated. It must be almost like losing a partner. The image of a lab in a pink bandana made me smile. Labradors always seem so happy, somehow.

    — bsag    1. December 2004, 05:38    Link
  2. Sad. I’m sorry.

    But I too am charmed by the image of a happy lab in a pink bandana.

    — Rana    1. December 2004, 14:04    Link
  3. I am so sorry to hear about your friend’s loss, but like Rana, I find the image of a lab in a pink banadan—and with a name like Bruno, too—not only charming but now also indelible.

    — maria    1. December 2004, 15:04    Link
  4. Losing a companion of such unconditional love and service… I hope everyone who knew Bruno can celebrate his life (pink bandanas and all) while mourning the loss.

    Will there be a Bruno2?

    — mahala    1. December 2004, 16:43    Link

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