Four Legged Angel

My friend of 17 years left us. 

Pudge was such a good boy and always put up with whatever we were doing to torment him.  I used to dress him in my little siblings' clothes.  He once was accidentally hit in the head with a baseball - and HARD!  He tolerated numerous young pups pulling and yanking on his ears and tail. 

Even in his old age, he was the only dog that could catch an unwanted rodent lurking along the fence.  Not even the hunting-type dogs (dachshunds and beagle) could catch a rat the way he could.  He was the brave one.

His best friend, Maggie the beagle, taught him how to howl.  We always laughed at his whiny attempts.  In return, he would escort her on her escapes just to make sure she returned safely.  Though, we usually ended up having to hunt them both down.  The two names always seemed to go hand in hand... "Pudge-n-Maggie."

He was a friend to many and will be missed by us all.
What a hard day.

We sure love you, sweet boy.