When my dog Bo died, my family and I were devastated. He was taken from us on Mother’s day, of all days. We first got him when I was two, and he died last year at the age of fourteen due to a lung disease.
Bo first developed this lung disease two years before his death. The veterinarian estimated that he would last somewhere between two more months to two years. During this time, his health kept declining. He became hard of hearing and found it difficult to see causing him to bump into walls around our house. Also, he would constantly cough. Because of this, we were told by our veterinarian to administer breathing treatments through an inhaler three times a day. As time passed, it became difficult for him to breathe. He would literally faint due to lack of oxygen. His condition became so severe, that he couldn’t even walk without fainting. Bo would wander along like normal, and then all of a sudden his little white body would fall on his side. Sometimes, he would lay unconscious for five minutes.
I remember the day of his death just like it was yesterday. He lay on the coach and right before he died, he whimpered as if to say, “Help me, I can’t breathe.” His body went through convulsions as my mom and I sat by his side. We tried to calm him, but before we could he was gone. He was taken right before my eyes.
I cried for days and days. Bo was like my best friend. We played outside and took naps together. My mom used say to me, “You were puppies together,” since we grew up at the same time. Whenever I was sad, I could always count on Bo to comfort me. He could sense that something was wrong and would come lay by my side.
With Bo gone, there was no one excited to greet me when I came home. Our house felt empty, like a part of it was missing. Bo was family, my younger brother. It was so hard to go on without him. Although we greatly missed Bo, we realized that we couldn’t live without a dog. Two weeks later, we found Homer, our newest pride and joy. Homer is a West Highland white terrier, just like Bo. Our family is now happy again, thanks to Homer.
Because of this horrific experience, I believe that everyone needs a dog. Dogs are there for you no matter what. They comfort you in your time of need, and are very dependable. They bring joy and happiness to your life, along with the additional bonus of being a great companion. They love you for who you are, no matter how much money you have or what type of job you obtain. As Josh Billings once said, “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.” I believe that everyone needs a dog.