Farewell to a little bad dog

I collect pets and leave them with my mother back in NYC while I am still travelling for work. She has three rescue cats, two rescue dogs and Hercules.

Hercules was the first dog I have owned, I got him from a breeder when he was 12 weeks old weighing in at a whopping 2 lbs.

Hercules passed away two weeks ago, he was diagnosed with diabetes and fought a good fight for about three years but his poor little body couldn't deal with it anymore. It has not sunk in for me since I am not going back home until next week, my mother was completely devastated being his main caretaker the past few years.

I remember bringing him home from the airport, and watching him slowly come out of the carrier unsure of this new big strange world he was in. I knew he would be a handful when I caught him trying to scale the baby gate because he didn't want to be contained in that little space.

Over the years, we had a love/hate relationship...he was a miniature pinscher and to say he was headstrong is an understatement.

He had a love of chocolate, and would scheme to get a candy bar left unattended and then make me chase him around the house trying to force feed him activated charcoal and making him throw up before he went into toxic shock...that never stopped him every time, but I love chocolate as well so I can't blame him too much.

If he was scolded and didn't appreciate my tone, he would drop a load by my bed when I was sleeping so I could step in it...I swear I can't make this stuff up.

You couldn't say his name if he was a stranger to you without him growling, he always had to get muzzled at the vet with the tiniest muzzle I have ever seen...I think they nicknamed him Jerkules because of that.

He was fiercely loyal to those within his inner circle, some days I was lucky enough to get some doggie kisses and I appreciate it now.

Towards the end, he mellowed out - going blind does that to someone I suppose. He still kept his feisty nature even while becoming skin and bones. My dear Hercules, you were truly one of a kind...and I thank you so much for the 11 years we had with you, even though you left us too soon. And even towards the end, you waited until my mother could make it home for work before passing away in her arms because you knew how much it meant to her to be able to say goodbye to you. We thought we had more time with you, but we were blessed to have what we could get.

Farewell my friend, enjoy your dog bed in the sky eating as much chocolate as you want now :)