Last February, I lost a family member. My English bulldog, Abby, died at the age of 13. I cried for days.
After grieving for months, my mom was ready for another dog. No animal - no matter how funny and wrinkled and flatulent - could ever replace Abby. But some people need a four-legged friend to make a house a home. My mom is like that, and my dad loves her enough to go along for the dog fur-covered, drool-smudged ride.
There were tentative plans to get a puppy, but they were scrapped when my dad needed chemotherapy. He was weak and needed a lot of personal attention himself. “Besides,” he said. “No dog can ever be as good as Abby.”
A little over a year later, my parents have decided to bring another girl bulldog into the family, this time for sure. She was born a few weeks ago, and my mom has already given her a name. Annie.
My dad hasn’t said much about the new family member, minus concerns about her feet, which were wrapped in the umbilical cord and looked squished when she was delivered. The veterinarian wanted to euthanize, as he thought she’d be permanently deformed.
“The sun will come out tomorrow…” Annie’s feet are fine. When she’s not busy with the puppy duties of nursing, sleeping, and pooping, she hobbles as well as the rest of her litter.
My mom is counting the days until the tiny potato-sized dog comes home. Though I am far away and don’t know when I get to meet her, so am I.
We too have an English Bulldog, and while my parents don’t know if they will get another one after Winston goes, we have said that we would never get another breed. They are awesome.
Hi, Sydney! Bulldogs changed me from a cat person to a dog person. I dream of the day I have enough time to get my own. Winston’s a great name, by the way.
I AM IN LOVE. My bulldogger was supposed to be a boy named Winston. She arrived from Oklahoma and she was a girl. Hence, Winnie. But I am in love with Annie. My neighbors [not The Messies] have a bulldogger named Rosie. Annie, Winnie and Rosie should get together and have a lesbian lovefest.
Ha! I hope to have more pictures of Annie soon. I can’t believe how tiny she is.
You’re lucky to live among bulldogs. TBID has three on his block. I’m so jealous.