I got a call from my husband one afternoon that he was bringing a guest home for dinner. I had a mini panic attack. The house was not “company ready” and I didn’t have anything prepared to serve for dinner. Todd told me not to worry about anything. He arrived home an hour later with a Pitbull puppy and all the things a dog would need. He also had a receipt for the hefty vet bill. I lost it. (I did not have thought-work back in the day.) I could not believe he would bring a Pitbull to our home. Lucky, as he called him, had been hit by a car roaming the streets of South Los Angeles. Todd could not just drive by. He scooped the dog up and took him to the vet for assessment. Lucky was a scrappy and skinny street dog with road burns down his back that he sustained in the accident. He was lucky to be alive, get medical care, and have Todd bring him home.
My mind went straight to doom and gloom. We already had a puppy, Coco. We also had two small children and a boa constrictor. This is crazy! I said, “You have to choose between the snake and the Pitbull. I will not have two things that can eat my children in this house!” Pitbulls are not often painted in a good light, and most stories I heard were not good. Lucky, had won Todd’s heart in a way that a red-tail boa never would. The next day Todd went to a pet store with the snake (I cannot remember the snake’s name) and got her rehomed. YES! I might like this dog after all.
The first year was tough. I was concerned about Emily being safe because she couldn’t walk and was always on the floor crawling. I also had concerns about Lucky hurting Coco. Both were concerns that never came to pass. Lucky, a gentle giant, would let Coco run the house. She was the Alpha and she let him know. Over the years she took a chunk out of each of his ears. Not once, but twice. It was a bloody mess both times, but Lucky never fought back. He was never aggressive with any of us. He was always gentle and loving.
Over the last 14 years Lucky has added so much to our home. He was never a one-person dog, but loved being around everyone in his pack, even Coco. Lucky enjoyed his bath and would climb into the tub for me without any resistance. He was not a fan of being alone and let you know. Even to be separated by a door would upset him. He would cry if we were not home when by sunset. He was a big, sensitive baby. He could read my emotions. If he thought I was down, he would follow me, comfort me, and just love me. I could not tell you the number of times I tripped over him. He was always at my feet.
In December I noticed Lucky’s neck was swollen. I thought maybe he had an abscess. We took him to see the vet. His blood work and organs were all amazing for a dog of his age. That was the good news. The biopsy of his lymph nodes told a different story. The vet informed us that Lucky had lymphoma. We began a steroid treatment to manage the symptoms. The treatment gave him some extra time and we enjoyed every precious moment with him. He continued to show his love and loyalty for each of us every single day. This past weekend his time with us came to an end (a beautiful story for another post). Our family is grieving the loss. He was close to each of us and our home does not feel the same without him. He added so much love and laughter into our home. I will definitely be writing more about Lucky in future posts. He had a big impact on my life and his light in our home is missed.
Conversation for Change 