Yesterday, we said goodbye to our beloved TK. Our hearts are shattered. We never saw this coming, this horrible cancer that sneaks up and takes our best friends from us. We had a great Thanksgiving and the pups enjoyed a meal of sardines and turkey. Friday morning, I noticed TK was panting, which was not unusual and normally the result of some indiscretion on my part, like not making Mr. Big move out of the bed he wanted. When the panting turned into more labored breathing, I knew something was very wrong. At the e-vet, they immediately put him in an oxygen crate and gave him some meds to calm him a bit while they performed some tests. We were not prepared for the results – masses throughout his lungs and chest. How could this be? Why did we not see the signs? Had our boy been suffering without us even knowing? At that point, we knew we could not put him through any further stress; we had to make the difficult decision to set him free. When we saw TK for the last time, our good boy, brave and dignified, told us we were making the right decision – he was ready. We thank him for that as we will never have to question our decision. We said our goodbyes, stroking his soft fur and kissing his sweet face. His passing was both peaceful and heartbreaking.
We met TK on a rainy summer evening in August of 2009. His foster mom brought him over to meet us and we were smitten from the start. He was the most beautiful dog we had ever seen. We learned that TK had been with his foster family for quite some time and was passed over at meet and greets because he was so shy and nervous. To drive that point home, TK had an accident on our living room carpet. It may sound strange but, at that point, we knew he was meant to be ours. Several days later, TK officially joined our family and we were to become his loyal servants, catering to his every need. In return, he grew to trust us and emerged from his shell a happy, bratty, vocal hound who loved to give kisses, play and spin around in circles chasing his dad. He was also a master chatterer and an excellent vocalist, often joining in on Karaoke nights. TK loved other dogs too. When we started fostering Mr. Big, the two became inseparable right from the start and Big joined our family not long after.
The house is so quiet now without TK. How we miss that special boy with the soulful eyes, our perfect gentleman, our super-brat. We had 6 wonderful years together and, despite our sorrow, we would not trade a single minute. Goodbye friend, we’ll see you again someday. Until then - run, jump, spin, sing, eats lots of treats and nap often.