Farewell to a great companion

Tequila came into our lives in 1996. She was born in May and came to live with me when she was only 51 days old. She was the cutest puppy in the world and soon amazed us by her quiet demeanor, innate good manners and sharp intelligence. She was a true people dog and would rather sit on a park bench beside us and people watch than run around with other dogs.

She was also a world traveller. From Recife she went to Resende and then to Rio and Brasilia. From Brasilia I took her to Montreal, where we lived for 3 years and then to Toronto, where we stayed for another while. Tequila loved Canada. She relished the cold and snow. I was always amazed at how much energy she had at minus 20 celsius. The happiest I ever saw her was when we took her hiking into the mountains north of Montreal, in the Fall. She  must have zigzagged a good 20 km that day, but she had us, she was free and it was cold. She ran the whole way up the mountain and down. Needless to say, she slept for 3 days afterwards.

When Alan first came to Brazil to meet my parents, in december 1997, she didn’t like him. She knew he meant a lot to me and was jealous. But he would put her on top of the wall that surrounded my parents home and together they would sit there for hours watching the world go by. Once Alan retired, they became best buddies and she would call him for a nap every afternoon. He would be working on the computer, she would come, nudge his hand and then point towards the couch, where she would lie at his feet.

When it came time to come to Spain, I had to bring her back to Brazil. I knew her health wasnt the best at that point and I wanted her to be in a place where she would get the best care and attention. That she did. Today my mom called me to let me know they had to put her down. She now rests in a quiet little plot by the river, across from my parents’ home. Here are some recent pictures from when we lived in Toronto:

You were the best buddy I ever had. You’ll live forever in my heart….