Sad news

This afternoon our little Beau passed away in my arms with papa Mike by my side. He taught me more about forgiveness, trust and unconditional love than anyone I have ever encountered.

For those who may not know the story, Beau (formerly known as PeeWee) was a puppy mill breeding dog who spent 14 years or more in a small dirty cage, neglected, beaten and abused. When he became ill with a bladder stone so large it was pressing against the sides of his bladder walls, he was tossed out near oil wells in central California to die or be eaten by coyotes. Fortunately he was found by kind humans before his sad demise and taken in by the angels at United Yorkie Rescue in Bakersfield. They took care of his surgery and nursed him back to health. I just happened to be working in the area in August of 2007, heard his sad story, and the rest is history. I named him after an old Norse word, Bua, which means "strong will to live".

When we met he was, not surprisingly, very angry at humans. He didn't trust me or like to be touched by me. But gradually he would come and sit beside me on the floor and, after many tears, he eventually let me pet him without running away and glaring back at me like my touch had been painful to him. I think it was when we flew the red eye from LA to Sarasota in September of 2007 that we bonded. Half way through the flight I could feel he had awakened and was bucking in his little carrier. I scooped him up in a blanket and he slept the rest of the flight in my arms. When I met Mike at the airport and handed Beau over to him while I got my luggage, he said Beau intently watched my every step until I returned and held him back in my arms. From then on I was his mommy and he was my little boy. Where he had been so afraid of me in Bakersfield, he began to do a happy little jig every time I returned home, tail wagging a mile a minute, kicking his back legs up for me to pick him up. When the kisses came I knew that I was truly blessed. I could not believe it and I was grateful for each and every one. As his health continued to fail from the effects of old age, along with his hearing and eyesight, his trust in me grew and my heart overflowed toward him with love, admiration and gratitude. He was amazingly strong and brave for such a tiny little pup. Not a stranger to neglect and abuse myself, I knew he went through so much more hardship in his wee little life than I ever did. More than most humans could ever endure. But the fact that he was able to find it in his heart to forgive another human who he had previously only known as abusers, trust a human with his every care, and unconditionally loved a human with all of his heart is a true miracle to me and a lesson I can only hope to emulate.

I will never forget little Beau and I will never be able to thank him for the lessons he brought into my life. We buried him today along with a dog tag that read "I Rescued A Human". And he did. Something I never, ever would have thought possible when I brought the little fella home. He taught me more than anyone I had ever met, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Rest in peace, little Beau. And to everyone reading this, please help ban the horrendous animal abuse of puppy mills by not buying from pet shops that sell puppy mill puppies and by adopting one of the millions of homeless animals in America. Beau thanks you. And we thank you.

Sue and Mike