The best day of my 8-year-old's life, he proclaimed, was March 17, the day he got his very first puppy. The worst came just nine days later when the little dog died of parovirus.
Sawyer had named the 8-week-old puppy Wicket after the Ewok in Star Wars.
This new friendship between boy and dog was perfect, like something out of a movie. They chased each other around the yard and watched Pirates of the Caribbean together.
I never realized how much we needed a dog until we got one – and even more so after the puppy died. In some weird way, that three-pound puffball had completed our family.
The owner of the kennel where we bought Wicket was as distraught as us over the puppy's death.
“I know that you loved Wicket, and you were a good dog owner,” Mark Robinson of Marlyns Kennels told Sawyer when we went to Tonopah to see him on Friday. It was the day before Sawyer's 9th birthday. “Is there anything I can do to make this better?”
Sawyer shrugged, his eyes brimming with tears.
“Well, you think about it,” Mark said. “I'll be right back.”
Sawyer sat back on the couch. A few minutes later, Mark returned and asked, “Would this help?” He held up a wiggling white puppy. The little dog launched himself at his new young owner.
Like Wicket in Star Wars, our puppy had a brother. Sawyer named this puppy Widdle after the Ewok's brother in the movie and then proclaimed it the second best day of his life.
Karina Bland is raising her 9-year-old son in Tempe with a lot of love, humor and support from her friends and family. A longtime journalist covering child welfare and education issues for The Arizona Republic, she blogs about raising good kids.
I'm so glad you guys got
I'm so glad you guys got another little puppy... I bet that puppy and your son will be the best of friends..
Elizabeth is a discussion leader for arizonamoms she writes about everything from her needing mommy advice to crazy and silly stuff that happens. She lives in the West Valley with her husband and 3 children, Joshua 12, Brooke 2 and Mason 10 months
All the best things it's
All the best things it's possible to say about a pooch -- especially one called Widdle. May your carpets survive, and your son thrive, 'cause, after all, that's why we're hanging out with one another, right?
Congratulations on
Congratulations on completing your family. I hope you all remain healthy :)
KarilouMomof2 is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Tempe. Her daughters are 9 and 6.
Nothing heals a broken heart
Nothing heals a broken heart like a new little creature to love!
sure, fine, whatever
Congrats on your new puppy.
Congrats on your new puppy. I hope your son and your family enjoy him!
I'm so glad you got a new
I'm so glad you got a new puppy!! If he is his brother make sure you take him to the vet and have him tested for Parvo. It's actually like a check up for new puppies along with the normal shots. They will give you a cup or something and you need to bring them a stool sample. I'm so glad you have a newbie. He won't replace Wicket, but it's nice to have a friend. Congratulations.
Lisa - Mom to her spunky little Scarlette
I am happy and sad for you
I am happy and sad for you at the same time. So sad that your son had to experience that so soon after Wicket joined your family. But, happy that you were able bring another baby home to join your household.
I don't want to take away from your joy, but I want to make sure that you don't go through the same experience again. Parvo can live in the ground for quite a few years. After a lot of experience (unfortunately) with parvo, the strong recommendation was always to go home and bleach everything inside and outside the home. Clean carpets, spray your yard; all preventive measures need to be taken. Hopefully your vet was helpful in this process, if not call and let them know your situation.
Enjoy your new baby!!!
Thank you so much for the
Thank you so much for the kind words and the advice. We put off getting the new puppy for a few weeks while we bleached inside and out. My house smells like a hospital. We even bleached the yards and, surprisingly, the grass isn't dead. Every rug, blanket, toy, etc. that came in contact with Wicket went into the trash. Even our vet says we overdid it, but we didn't want to take any chances.
The first puppy only went in the front yard because the deadbolt on the back door happened to be broken. It was repaired while Wicket was in the hospital, and so now the new puppy only goes out back. Also, we're making anyone who visits take off their shoes and leave them out front and sanitize their hands.
Widdle had his first check up today at the vet, and he has a clean bill of health, so that was good news!
Karina Bland is raising her 9-year-old son in Tempe with a lot of love, humor and support from her friends and family. A longtime journalist covering child welfare and education issues for The Arizona Republic, she blogs about raising good kids.