The Hatched Egg: The Story of Bruiser

This one goes out to anyone who has ever loved and lost a pet.

On May 23, 2016 at about 1:10 p.m. a little piece of my heart died. His name was Bruiser, and he was our fur baby. He was part of our family for 11 years and we loved him fiercely.

My heart is sad, but it's also full of joy. Bruiser was and is simply the best dog I've ever known. He greeted every single person that walked through our door with a Boo-howl and happy tail wag. He was curious, smart, snuggly, friendly, and ALWAYS hungry. By the way he ate you would think he was 600lbs. Nope, he was a whopping 6. He made the hard times easier and the happy times happier. To know him was to love him. I am so blessed I got to be his human mom.

I very clearly remember the day we brought him home. The minute I walked into the breeder's house Bruiser ran up to me and sat on my shoe. There were other puppies there who ignored me and other people with me (Frank and my parents) who Bruiser ignored. He knew I was his mama.

Puppy Bruiser with our nephew Gavin

Bruiser got into his fair share of mischief. There was the time he chased a skunk through our yard and got sprayed in the face. He constantly begged for food, loved to chase bugs, followed me around the house, squeezed his way onto the laps of many friends, and never met a pair of feet he didn't want to lick. He was also brave and fiercely protective. We knew who we could trust based on Bruiser's instincts. He was sensitive and loving. He seemed to sense when we needed him to be still, silent, and snuggly. He also loved to play tug of war and chase after his toys.

This little dog was there for us and his love was unconditional. When we went through a very dark time in our life, he was there. Always ready to snuggle, always ready to lick the tears away. We constantly felt his love.

It was hard for us to watch him age and slow down. When we noticed his eyes clouding up about a year and a half ago we knew life would be different for him. While not fully blind, he had a harder time getting around and lost interest in almost everything except food and snuggling. He also still loved to be outside and bathe in the sun, which was exactly how he spent his last days on this earth.

I truly believe God specifically sent specifically Bruiser into our life to be our dog. It was almost as though he was an angel sent to watch over us. I also believe that this was simply his time to go, and I see God's hand in all of this. We were blessed by neighbors who called us and sat with him after he fell. We were blessed in that the way Bruiser was injured wasn't causing him any pain. We were blessed that my whole family got to hold him and say goodbye. We were blessed to have one final night with him. We were blessed by an incredibly empathetic doctor who told us how much she loved Bruiser and even teared up after telling us he was gone. We were blessed that Frank and I could be with him in his final moment and that he went completely peacefully. The very last thing he did was lick my arm, a signature Bruiser trait. And how fitting was that... I was the first and last person he clung to in our family.

Yes, we are very sad, but also happy that we loved a little dog who made a huge impression on our hearts. We are happy for the many wonderful memories we made with him. I don't know if dogs go to Heaven, but if they do, Bruiser is up there right now howling, running, eating peanut butter, and licking some stinky feet. We love you, Boo-man. Thank you for taking care of us.