Yesterday was a difficutl one for both my roommate and I. I am sure it was more difficult for Josh... I would like to dedicate this blog to him and the memory of Boozer, one of my best friends ever.
Boozer is a 4 year old Saint Bernard. The day Josh picked him up, he was at work and unable to
drop Boozer off anywhere. Since he had to take Boozer with him to work, he carried his small fluffy body around all day in his lunchbox. Yes, a St. Bernard in a lunchbox. Boozer was the smallest puppy of the litter, but Josh really liked his markings. He was such a beautiful little bundle of life teaming with enthusiasm and joy.
Just like any other dog, he had some issues with learning to behave. Josh told me stories that
Boozer was a big fan of chewing up the garden hose. In an effort to distract Boozer from this terrible habit, Josh tied all of the chewed-up pieces around his neck. Carrying around this much hose became a burden and Boozer eventually learned to respect the hose.
I moved into Josh's house in the Summer of 2007. At that time, Boozer was full grown. He was the kind of dog that loved to be around people and get attention, pets, and any kind of affection he could. The only issue with that was the amount of slobber that is characteristic from a dog with such a sloppy face. Often times I would find that he had rubbed up against me to say hello and completely slimed my pants. This was quite typical at parties, barbeque's and other social events held here. Fortunately, Josh was aware of his drool not being something he could control and just warned people. If they got slimed, their fault.
I have never known a dog that was such a lover. At 170 lbs. he was able to wrestle with me and push me around, but had a big enough heart to play with children of all ages and never harm them in any way. I often remember Jasmine (Josh's daughter) laying on him in the summer and hanging on him by his tail. Boozer didn't have a hostile bone in his body and loved to play with Jasmine as well as other kids. Some of his favorite things to do were: play keep-away (with anything he could fit in his mouth), tug-o-war with his rope, bite at the air compressor air or vacuum, and wrestling with a large and strong opponent or the smallest of children. Anyone who met Boozer was immediately attracted to him and felt the love which he emanated.
About 9 weeks ago, Boozer began to limp on his back leg. After a scheduled surgery for an ACL injury, the veterinarian informed Josh that Boozer had Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) throughout most of his body. Boozer was burried on August 15, 2009. This was a devastating day for those of us close to Boozer.
Boozer has to be the absolute toughest dog I have ever met. He held in there for 9 weeks while his body was wasting away. Although it was difficult for him to eat or keep food down, he rarely ever whimpered or showed that he was in pain. Boozer led a great life where he was cared for, loved, played with, but most of all he ate very well. He will be missed by many including his two brothers Bullet and Bear. We love you, Boozer.
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