Remembering Laddie, Our Hairy Son

Exactly a year ago today, our hairy son Laddie passed away. I remember vividly that this day was also the first snow storm of the year. It was doubly sad because Laddie loved the snow and we loved watching him rolling and scratching his back in the snow as if making a snow angel.

Laddie and hb were inseparable. Hb got him when he was a little pup. He took him anywhere he went, even on business trips that will require him to be away for weeks. When his company sent him for an out-of-town assignment for several months, his requirement was to give him a dog-friendly apartment. Laddie used to sleep in hb's bed at night and on the sofa during the day. But when I came into hb's life, everything changed. I was like the 'evil stepmother' from the Cinderella book, sort of, lol. Kidding aside, I was not used to having a pet in bed with us, so we bought Laddie his own bed and he still slept in our bedroom on hb's side. It took a while for him to get used to the new set-up.

Laddie was a very nice and likeable dog, kids loved to pet him. He was a smart dog too, I talked to him like a real human and he understood what I say. He was very affectionate and sweet. He loved going for a joy ride. When he saw his dad's car pulling into the garage from work, he would get very excited and wag his tiny tail waiting for the door to open so he can jump in. Oh by the way, it took a while for him to get used to riding at the back seat. Every time we would go out, it was automatic for him to sit in the front. I would literally drag him to the backseat, lol. Well, the front seat was his territory for a long time, and here's the 'evil stepmom' again getting into the picture, lol.

Anyway, Laddie was almost 14 years old or 98 years old in dog years. He was very old and suffering from arthritis and his heavy weight aggravated his condition. He had a hard time getting up and he was crying every time he moved. It was a struggle for him to go to his dish to eat and drink so I fed him manually like a little baby. When he tried to get up he would sometimes make a mess. Hb and I were back and forth about putting him to sleep. I was the one holding back, I couldn't stand the thought of losing him. But his condition will not get any better, it will only get worse, so we decided to put him to sleep. The night hb decided that he will take Laddie to the vet the following day, I knew that that was the last night I will ever see him. I stayed with Laddie the whole night, I petted him, I took his pictures and we sort of said our goodbyes. (Geez, I am crying again while writing this).

The following day, before hb took him to the car, Mikey and I hugged and kissed Laddie. Hb asked me if I wanted to go with them but I refused. I didn't think I could stand seeing Laddie go. I was restless the whole time hb was out. Deep in my heart I was hoping that the vet will just give him something to get him better and he will still come back. And then the inevitable came, I heard hb's car pulled in. He came out with only Laddie's collar in his hand and he said, 'he's gone', oh I cried like a baby. We cried. I never saw hb so sad. He cried in his car on his way home. He said he petted Laddie till after he went to sleep. The doctor even told him he's already gone, but hb didn't want to leave him. Oh, we cried for God knows how long, until now everytime we think about him, the pain is still there.

Poor old Laddie. We had him cremated and his ashes is resting on our mantle. We will never forget our sweet hairy son. One thing is for sure he is not suffering anymore and he must be playing in the snow again in Doggie Heaven. We love you Laddie!

In Loving Memory of Laddie
1994 to 2007

Laddie loved playing in the snow. Laddie with fur covered in snow. I always wondered why the Christmas tree skirt was always out of order when I wake up in the morning. I went down late at night and saw the culprit, lol. Laddie loved resting on his dad's sneakers. My two sons heard their dad's car pulled in. Here they were waiting for dad to come in. Michael was trying to get the ball from Laddie's mouth.