Do Dogs Have A Bucket List?

The Old Dog's Bucket List
By La Belle Rouge


Rusty was the most adorable puppy. A golden ball of fluffy love. He lived up to the reputation Golden Retrievers have for being fine companions. He grew up to be a big boy but always gentle with everyone. He belonged to my son and his family and every time we would go for a visit Rusty would meet us at the door with a toy in his mouth to show us and a warm welcome in dog language.

Rusty grew up and Rusty grew old. His golden muzzle turned silver but his eyes never lost their spark. It was a sad day when the vet said he had cancer and not long to live. She gave him steroids for the pain and suddenly Rusty felt like a new dog. His tail was wagging again and he was enjoying his stuffed toys. He even regained his romantic interest in the Chow that shared his home.

Rusty was such a good dog. In all the fourteen years of his life he never destroyed anything or did anything bad at all. He was just too perfect!

One day my son’s girlfriend came home from work and found Rusty in the utility room unable to get up. He had thrown up all over the kitchen, the trash was out in the floor. He laid there calmly and waited for my son to get home from work. When he got there Rusty laid his big head in his lap and closed his beautiful brown eyes to never open again.

There was a funeral of sorts, the men out in the cold rain burying Rusty in our pasture. My son put his favorite bed and his stuffed toys in the grave with him. Then we all sat around and remembered Rusty’s life and how much it had touched all of us.

We had a good laugh about his new energy and the fact that if an old dog has a bucket list, breeding the Chow and dumping the trash must have been on it!