If you don’t follow me on Twitter, you may not have heard that my best friend Finn has passed away. He was 12 years old. To say I am sad about this is an understatement. He has been with me for nine great years.
I got Finn in the spring of 2014. Once I decided that I wanted a dog, specifically a Dachshund, I reached out to a rescue in New England that deals specifically with the breed. I was in luck. They had just received almost 40 dogs that were discovered in the home of someone who was a breeder and had recently passed away.
I went to a house in Middleboro, MA where most of the dogs were being kept until they could be placed in homes. Finn gravitated to me and I loved him instantly.
After the rescue conducted a visit to my home, I was able to pick him up. I’ll never forget the day I brought him home. He looked around my kitchen and living room, then looked at me as if to say, this looks great.
He was three years old, and he was so little.
Finn had very simple tastes. He loved food, especially carrots and his wet food, going for walks, and sitting on my lap when I was trying to work.
Most of all, Finn loved curling up in his bed.
Like all Dachshunds, Finn was an expert mouser, and since I live in an old New England house, Finn had opportunities for mousing over the years. He probably caught a dozen mice in nine years. If Finn spotted one, he would chase it until he got it. If it ran under an appliance, he would stand in front of it for an hour if needed, until it tried to make a run for another spot.
In the early days, Finn didn’t like many people other than me, but he got used to my family by spending time with them, especially my mother, who loved to stuff him with treats. Before I knew it, he was demanding a place at the holiday table.
On Tuesday of this week, I noticed that Finn was breathing a bit on the heavy side. I called the vet to tell them about it. I told them I would check in with them again the next day if he was still doing it. I went to bed early that night and woke up at about two in the morning. I went to check on Finn and he had passed.
On Friday, I went to the vet to talk about his passing. My greatest concern was that he had possibly suffered. The vet did a great job of allaying my fears, which made me feel a little bit better.
Since then, I have moved on from devastated to just incredibly sad. I live alone and work from home. Finn was very much at the center of my daily life. Hug your dogs, because you never know when that hug will be the last one.
I think about Finn all the time and I miss him every single day.
Until we meet again, Finn. You will always be in my heart.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY