Today Steve and I said goodbye to Mudd, his best friend and the queen of the house. I admit, I deferred to her on that title and pretty much everything else. Mudd, aka Jackpot! Makin’ Mudd Pieds, CGC, ruled the roost. She allowed no other dogs to lick an ice cream bowl on her watch. These last 2-3 years, when she had become pretty much blind and deaf. she somehow magically knew when you got to the bottom of a bowl of yogurt, ice cream or anything else bowl-related. She would wake up and totter over to where you were and look up – fully expecting to be rewarded with the coveted bowl licking responsibility.
Mudd was almost 14 years old, an advanced age for a French Bulldog, but not long enough. It never is though, is it? Up until the end she walked with swagger and confidence. It was only in these last two days, when a series of strokes hit, that she was afraid and lost her confidence. We knew it was time to allow her to exit, as heartbreaking at it was for us.
I will share Steve’s favorite story about Mudd. One day, a year or so ago, he took my little convertible Geo Tracker to Menard’s (like Home Depot) to buy some odds and ends. It was fall and crisp outside, so Mudd hopped in for a ride with her dad – her favorite thing to do on this earth. Steve said he was at the very back of the ginormous Menard’s Superstore in Bemidji and looked down and there was Mudd! Being blind and deaf did not slow her down one bit.
We figured she must have squeezed and pushed until she pushed the zipper top open enough to wiggle out of the car. She then trotted across the parking lot, waiting on some human to activate the sensor door and, nose in the air, tracked her Steve down!
One of the assistant manager’s walked up and told Steve he would have to leave, that he could not shop with his Pit Bull. Steve laughed and said, “She is a French Bulldog and a Canine Good Citizen, we will leave when we finish our shopping.” Something about Steve’s demeanor must have let the guy know this was a special dog. He muttered a bit and walked away.
Steve and Mudd finished their shopping and headed home.
So, today was a very sad day for us. We will always remember our favorite pied French Bulldog and her love for Steve, and me too, but mostly for Steve. Her puppy picture is on our French Bulldog Nose Butter and always will be.
Godspeed, dear Mudd. There are plenty of your dog and human friends waiting for you on the Other Side…each with an ice cream bowl for you to lick. You will be sorely missed, we love you.
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