Chewy H
Bear-Brindle-American Mastiff Cort-German Shepard Jake-Fawn-English M
To: ‘Flying W Farms’
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 8:43 PM
I am not sure what pics we sent, but here are some of the pics we have. My daughter got married Saturday, September 8. At the reception I gave a small speech about meeting her husband for the first time and knowing he was the one for her based on how he looked at her and getting confirmation from Chewy. Of course I cried like a baby, and so did my daughter, her husband, his family, my family and all of our friends (about 30) who knew Chewy. He was so special. I took his picture to the reception with me because I knew he wanted to be there. Take care!
Subject: CHEWY Picture/Story
Hi Fredericka! We spoke this morning about the loss of our beloved Chewy. My wife and I sincerely appreciate you making a puppy available to us. Although I cried like a baby when I repeated your comment about a new puppy not replacing Chewy in our hearts, but taking a place right beside him and helping us deal with his loss, my wife Chelle, daughter Ashley and son Bobby all cried as well. Thank you very much. Chewy’s story is below.
When we bought Chewy, our American Mastiff, we lived right here in this same subdivision. All of our neighbors cried when they heard about Chewy’s passing.
The photo attached was Chewy at age four years. He was almost eleven years old when he crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.
Even though his muzzle turned white at 7, I sincerely believe he remained in his prime until Thursday, April 12, 2007 when his health declined rapidly, resulting in his passing yesterday, April 16. He was a very athletic dog who would run himself into the ground playing with me. I was with him all day yesterday, laying on the floor with him to make sure the IV flowed properly. Even though he was extremely sick, he gave me wet kisses every five minutes or so. Right before they put him under anesthesia , he gave me a big, long wet kiss, almost like he knew something was going to happen. I started crying uncontrollable. When it was time to put him to sleep, the four of us were there with him. When we started rubbing his ears, which he loved, he started snoring like he always did. He passed painlessly. I know we will all see him again when we pass.
My older brother and I picked Chewy (Chelle’s Little Wookie Chewbacca) up at your place in July 1996. He was six weeks old, the son of Jake and Cassie(?) or Sandy. My brother and I still laugh because when his mom stood up, Chewy was the last puppy to let go of a teat. Chewy arrived in Bloomington to great fanfare that day. His human sister Ashley (12 at the time) and brother Bobby (9 at the time) were especially elated. We crated trained Chewy and his canine brother Cort (a Shepard Malamute mix) for house training. Chewy cried so much his first night (even though the crate was in our room) that Chelle put him in bed with us. Chewy slept with my wife and I for the next 10 years and nine months. I cannot count the time he pushed my wife out of bed trying to snuggle with me. When we bought a new bed the frame collapsed after a month when Chewy decided to lay his head on Dad’s chest to sleep. We reinforced our new frame with two by fours to hold the additional weight. As much as we loved him, he returned that love a billion fold with his unconditional love for his family. It was on holidays that Chewy was at his happiest because everyone was home the whole day. We miss his wagging “happy tail” that was always going 100 miles an hour. He had many nicknames, Choo Choo, Choo Choo Bear, Whewy (due to the look on his face after exercising) and the Mighty Chewbacca.
Chewy and Cort (11 mos. Old when we got Chewy) were a pair. In the photo above Cort was at his prime, weighing 65 pounds. Cort mothered Chewy his whole life, cleaning him and letting him take his treats. I have so many stories about those two. When Chewy was six months he and Cort ate my wife’s new couch. When I stood at the top of the steps they were sitting in a pile of cushion foam looking as proud and happy as can be. When Chewy was 18 months he hit his top weight of 165 pounds, all of it muscle despite how much he ate. I believe it was due to all of the walking and hiking we did. Chewy loved running with me on the hiking trails and meadows around Lake Evergreen. He would get delusions of grandeur chasing deer and rabbits. He always came back proud and I would tell that next time he would catch them. His happy tail would move even faster when I told him that. He was the hit at obedience school as well due to his charming disposition. He was very smart and learned quickly. But, when he has enough he just laid down and refused to move! It was hilarious. It took a hamburger to get him to run through the agility tunnel, but he did it and graduated with honors. Chewy in particular loved nothing better then cuddling on the bed or couch with me and my wife. Chewy weighed 165 pounds until February 2007, when he started losing weight. Even with the weight loss he was very active until April 12.
When Chewy was two he and Cort were running through the house jumping on and off our water bed. As you can imagine, they ended up busting it, but they sincerely tried to help clean it up. . He really enjoyed swimming with us in Big Wheeling Creek.
In December 2006 my daughter took him to a photographer and had pictures made of him kissing Santa Claus (Santa had a treat in his mouth). Although I cried hard after our phone call this morning, that picture sitting on my desk reminded me of the love and happiness Chewy brought into our lives.
All of us miss him and are still crying today. It is especially hard on me because I took Chewy with me wherever I could, and he followed me everywhere. When I got up to exercise this morning I felt a huge hole with him not there. While I exercised he constantly gave me big wet kisses. When I came home from work he was always standing in the window waiting on me. I would try to bring a treat home in my lunch bucket every day for Chewy and Cort. Chewy especially loved it. His happy tail could have knocked a steel door whenever I came home from work. He even has to go to the bathroom with me when I showered! Cort misses him as well. Cort would always eat half of a milk bone and keep the other half between his legs teasing Chewy, and then Cort would give it to him. Today, he took the bone ate half, looked around waiting for Chewy for three minutes before he gave up and went upstairs to bed.
As you can see, Chewy has a profoundly positive impact on our family. His unconditional love, humor, happy personality, and his ability to make us happy when we were down are hopelessly missed, even though he has only been gone a little over 24 hours. We take comfort in knowing that he knew we loved him more than anything, and that he lived a happy and full life. We know he knew all four of us were with him when he passed.
We placed Chewy in the meadow in Spring time because Chewy loved running in the fields at Lake Evergreen. He will always be in our hearts;
Robert H and family