Dear Carter – An Ode to My best Friend

Last updated on August 28, 2015 By Puppy Leaks 6 comments
The hardest part of losing my pet dog Carter has been taking care of guilt. Guilt for all the things we must have done, and guilt for all the things we must not have done.

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An Ode To Carter – My best friend for 13 Years
Dear Carter –

I’m sorry that when you were around I didn’t have a digital camera; a lot of of the photos I have of you are when you were gray, old & chubby.  You were lean once, agile even.  You could run laps around the yard and no one would ever come close to catching up.  I’ve never seen a pet dog turn so quickly.

I’m sorry about that one time you jumped from the picnic table and I wasn’t paying attention.  I think you wanted me to catch you, instead you just bounced off of me onto the concrete.  I’m sorry, I had no idea you were going to do that.

I’m sorry for shaving you.  You had such great Aussie hair when you were young. then I made a decision you looked too hot; you were always trying to find shade and panting.  I thought I’d help cool you off by shaving that very soft fur of yours.  After the shave you weren’t shiny anymore, you were a dull gray color; to be sincere you resembled a pudgy deer.

I shouldn’t have shaved you.  It never grew back shiny afterwards. You felt wooly after that shave, I made you forever wooly and I’m sorry.  If I knew then what I know now about pet dog fur I wouldn’t have done that.

I’m sorry that you were probably a puppy mill dog, it might describe all the fatty tumors & cataracts you had by the time you were 4.  It might not describe it, I don’t know.  You ate the same food as the other dog, why didn’t he get fatty tumors?

The vets always asked what you were eating. It was respectable food, not table scraps or the least expensive thing I could find.  I’m sorry that you had to go through all those surgeries to remove all those fatty tumors.  Drainage tubes & cones of shame are fun for no one.

I’m sorry about that time we were in the backyard and a transformer blew up.  I didn’t see it coming; you took off for a week when that happened.  I ran after you but you wouldn’t stop.  I must have had you on a leash, but in all honesty weren’t a lot of of our great times had off leash?

I couldn’t find you anywhere.  I ran around calling your name; to cover a lot more miles I upgraded to my bike, I was young and didn’t have a license yet. I couldn’t find you, if I had half the nose you had I might have been able to track you.

After a week someone finally saw you; terrified, muddy & hungry.  He said it took hours to get you to come up to him, even with burgers.  I’m sorry that you were so afraid and that you never quite seemed the same after that week.

I’m sorry for the time I had daddy enjoy you, I’m sure you remember that night.  He let you out at 8pm for your nightly tinkle & poop, but he left you there.  He forgot he was enjoying you. He left you there tied up all night long.

You were so polite you didn’t say a word.  You sat there all night long in a big yard wondering if any individual was pertaining to get you, I’m sorry.  I must have had the neighbor enjoy you, I know that now.

I’m sorry about when we moved into the new house.  You were afraid of the floor.  I didn’t want you to be scared, tile floors were a whole new experience for you; I understand that now.  I could have put carpet down in the kitchen beforehand if I had known.

I’m sorry about the neighbors dogs.  You were trying to secure me when they came charging you did just that, you protected me from those 2 dogs. I’m sorry that it resulted in another drainage tube and another cone of shame.

I’m sorry that when you turned 13 you went through so much suffering.  I kept going to the vet to try something else but it wasn’t working.  You didn’t complain, you certainly didn’t appear delighted on that exam table but you dealt with it.

You were probably wondering why we were going for a ride so often during those days.  I thought the ideal pill or surgery could fix you up again.  I wanted you to be healthy again.  but you were 13; you weren’t going to get healthy again.

I’m sorry about our last day together.  I don’t think chicken Soup for The pet dog Lover’s soul is your favorite food, I was just giving you what the vet recommended. You probably would have took pleasure in fast food a lot a lot more than kibble, I don’t know what I was thinking.

I’m sorry that we didn’t get to go on a long walk that day, you seemed so tired.  I wanted you to smell the lawn and roll in some dead animal one last time.  instead I was leading you around the yard, stopping every 2 minutes so you could catch your breath.

I’m sorry if it wasn’t a pleasurable walk for you, we probably must have just cuddled on the couch one last time.

My best friend Carter 1998 – 2011

Amazing poem, best to have some tissues neanull