Dog: Kory – (Australian Shepherd) – Redmond, WA (2004 – May 2022)
My husband chose to get Kory when I was battling ovarian cancer. It pains me to think this now, but since I didn’t have much say in the choice, I was cool towards him in the beginning. Before Kory, I had a golden retriever, who was always eager to please. And Kory, being a much more independent thinker, initially struck me as stubborn and not as affectionate.
But somewhere along the way, he came to trust me over any other family member. Even though he still refused to step on grates or manholes, he would let me coax him into doing things I knew he hated, like taking a shower, or lying down on the vet table or crossing a metal bridge.
Kory was timid in urban settings, but he was comfortable in nature. He was great at catching frisbees and was a decent enough swimmer. Of course, the labs and goldens were much more confident and faster, and Kory knew that too, but he still seemed pretty proud of his abilities, and was eager to show them off.
I didn’t cry the day Kory died. He had a full life, and I knew that every day was just suffering for him at that point. But when I think of his trusting brown eyes that looked straight at me like dark pools, his soft muzzle peppered with dots, the warm peaceful mound of his body, the pain is so sharp it feels like a stab in the heart.
RIP Kory. I will never love any human being the way I loved you.
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