Kimber Gains Her Wings

We knew the time was drawing near, but we thought we had a few more months. We threw a Hail Mary and tried one more round of IV fluids and antibiotics, but after not eating for two days, your body was just too tired. You were ready. We never would be. We sat there giving you ear rubs telling you to say hi to Jake and Hannah. You fell asleep between us before the vet came in, and you never woke back up.

You were Adam’s first dog of his own, our first together as a new little family. Adam volunteered for weeks cleaning kennels at the Barking Lot rescue just so they would hold off adopting you to someone else until I got there. I drove cross-country from Washington, DC to San Diego and the very next morning we came for you.

You raised every dog who joined the Pope Pack after you. You LOVED puppies and would play with Ellie, then Hudson, Fletcher, and Puzzle tirelessly. You helped us teach them manners but never got cross if they crawled all over you. I watch Puzzle helping raise Nora now and I know she learned it from you. I hope she carries it forward for the next generations of our dogs so your maternal influence is never lost.

You brought us countless laughs with your little waddling run and we nicknamed you Jumanji because you reminded us of the cubby rhino always bringing up the rear of the herd. You could chase your giant yellow ball for hours, soccer-kicking it back and forth across the yard. We got you the giant rubber balls they give tigers thinking they would last forever. It didn’t take a full hour for you to figure out how to wrap your big old jaws around them and chomp.

You were so happy-go-lucky. It didn’t matter if we offered you a steak or a piece of broccoli, you were thrilled just to be in the same room as us. You lost most of your vision over the past few years, and ultimately we had to take your beautiful brown eyes out. I was so worried about making that decision, but within days you were puttering around the house, up and down the stairs, trooping around all on your own like nothing had changed. You were unstoppable.

Today I got ice out of the freezer and broke down crying. There was no one running into the kitchen at the sound of it falling out of the dispenser. No ice troll to pay. I hope there are endless “ice cubies” in Heaven and that the angels let you hold their fists in your mouth gently like you always did to show us affection.

Kimber

Kimber Bimber

Mama Mastiff

Smashtiff

Jumanji

Wombat Tail

Rest well, pretty girl. You are so loved.

The OG 3. The ones who shaped our marriage, our family, our careers, and our lives. We will always miss you.