RIP Sharro

My Dad and Brother had to say goodbye to a dear friend the other day.

About 13 years ago they brought home a tiny, spotted bundle of fur. I was living in Dayton, TN at the time and ran across the ad in the paper (I didn't know any better at the time). Dad wasn't really looking for a dog then, but decided to go check the litter out. They were all adorable 8 week old terrors but one particular gal caught his fancy; she was the one with the most spots. When Dad told the owner that he wanted to go home and think about it, the owner told Dad that there was someone else coming back that evening and was probably going to get her as they'd had their eye on her as well........well, what could Dad do except take her home that day?

What started was something neither of them expected. She became a confidant and best friend for Dad. She was my brothers warm bed and friend. Dad said she was the most intuitive dog he'd ever known. If you came home mad, she knew. If you came home sad, she knew. She'd try to do her best to make you happy, to make you smile. Many evenings she would snuggle on the couch with Dad when he came home from work. He'd talk to her about his day while stroking her fur and she'd quietly listen. When it was time to go to bed, she proudly head up to my brothers room to curl up in bed with him.

Graduation Day 2000. She wasn't digging
the graduation hat LOL

She loved riding in the car and my brother would often take her with him on his weekly dinner runs. She always got the last bite of whatever Dad was eating, but was never annoying about it, although Dad said she'd start to get antsy the closer he got to the last bite.

Sharro never had much to do with toys, always preferring to play with someone. Dad would grab her belly fat and sing "flabby dabby doggy jelly belly". My brother would flip her on her back and grab and pinch her skin (not painfully) and get her growling and snarling in play. He'd also throw a blanket over her and she'd turn into demon dog with all the noises she made, but it was one of her favorite games.

She was diagnosed with renal failure about 4 years ago and diagnosed with spine degeneration just before Christmas in 2012.  In the last 6-8 months, she could no longer control her kidneys.  She had trouble supporting her weight on her back legs and kept falling down.  She had to be helped and carried a lot. Finding what she'd eat was like a treasure hunt. Once you found something, it wouldn't be long before the search would begin again.

On February 17th 2013 Sharro took her last breaths with her head in Dads hands. She and Dad had spent a normal Sunday afternoon, lazing on the couch, watching TV and sharing a bag of chips. She went outside to potty and on her way back in, she fell. Dad picked her up and they continued on their way. Dad gets to the front door but sees that Sharro has fallen again, not just her rear legs like normal but her front too. Dad walks over to her and lifts her head. She takes a few breaths and was gone.

I posted this picture of her on FB the other day and this is what Dad and Bryan commented on it:

Dad

Her nickname was Mutt-Mutt and sometimes Mutty-Mutt. She intently listened to everything I said. She never said a word, but I always knew she cared. She was my companion and will always be missed.

Bryan

When I felt sad she would come to me to make me feel happy; to help me forget I was sad. She will always be in my heart and will be missed.

Bryan took this video showing one of their games.

RIP  Sharro
Run free at the Rainbow Bridge until you can be reunited once again. You're gone from our lives but never from our hearts.