Farewell, old friend!

We got our first dog, Bandit, from the animal shelter in downtown Atlanta the spring after R and I got married. We had talked about getting a dog from the time we got engaged. As soon as R had the promise of a full-time job, we went to pick out a furry friend.

I remember looking at apartments in Huntsville before we had even moved here. In every apartment we saw, we talked about where we could walk "our dog" and all the things about it that would be good for "our dog." All before we even had "our dog." We planned and hoped for him for a long time.

We brought Bandit home from Fulton County Animal Services in May of '06. This shelter was the saddest place I've ever been. They told us they got up to 200 new dogs a day sometimes. And the majority of them wouldn't find permanent homes. The shelter guessed Bandit, the German Shepherd mix we'd picked, was 6 months old, but the vet told us he was more like three. He was skinny and nervous, wrought with intestinal parasites and mange. After two months of living with us, he had doubled his weight, cleared his skin, and really come out of his shell. He became our instant companion. Bandit was the most loyal animal I have ever encountered.

This is on the day we brought the Bandit home. Can't you see why we picked him?

 

 

 

In this picture, Bandit is about five months old. Lovin' on his daddy!

We joked that this would be a great ad for Angel Soft toilet paper.

Unfortunately, with intense loyalty comes suspicion. As Bandit lived with us, he grew skittish and fearful of others who didn't look and act just like R and me. This included children. Toddlers particularly frightened him, with their squeals and sudden movements. Naturally, this was getting to be a problem for us. Though Bandit was always very good with C, even when she would grab at him or squeal and shriek, he remained cautious and wary around our friends' children. We started to look for a new home for our long-time companion.

Bandit went to live with a friend of Aunt Allison and we hope he's doing well. We really miss him. He always made us laugh with his quirkiness. When we broke with his usual daily routine, he liked to hide in the closet. His favorite position was sitting on your lap. He really loved chewing up glossy paper. Unlike a certain second dog who lives in this house, BANDIT never destroyed anything (except the occasional piece of junk mail). He loved to give hugs. He is a sweet, sweet dog and he is greatly missed.

Flash has been mourning the loss of Bandit by getting into tons of trouble. Since Bandit's been gone, Flash has been on a quest to eat all the food in the house. Once, I left him out on accident when I left for the afternoon with C. He tore up any food that was out in the kitchen that time. A second time, I didn't get his crate closed well and he tore up all kinds of things...including a diaper genie full of diapers. I'll spare you the details, but it was disgusting. He has been snatching C's food from the table or her high chair. And most of all, he thinks we should play with him ALL the time. Ball, ball, ball. I think he really does miss his companion, but he sure has a weird way of showing it. It's a rough transition, but I know Bandit has a good home where he won't be terrorized by small people who do unpredictable things. Life's rough.

Our boys snuggled up together. On a down comforter. They both love soft things. And have expensive taste...

Bandit . . . on my lap.