In 1984, Bandit came into Stephen's life. He was a 2 yr. old Lhasa Apso and Stephen's best friend and companion. Through the next 12 years, Bandit was with Stephen through thick and thin, in good times and in bad. He helped him through a divorce and through his loneliness.
I first met Bandit about 4-5 yrs. ago, and how could anyone NOT love him. He was always cautious with his first meetings, but once he got to know you, he would also give his unconditional love to you. He was a little cautious around my 2 daughters until he got used to them, and then, God forbid anyone that would even pretend to go for them, even Stephen and me.
We knew that he had a heart murmur, but we didn't know how extensive it could be. In his last year of life, his murmur got progressively worse. It then developed into congestive heart failure and the quick progression of kidney failure. As it progressed, he became weak in his back legs so he couldn't stand. He also got so he wouldn't eat dog food, even his special "puppy snacks". We tried him on a few small pieces of N.Y. sirloin steak, and we found he had an expensive appetite, but this only lasted for 3-5 days.
After this, we tried hamburger, feeling that it would be easier for him to chew. This only lasted 2 days, and then we really couldn't find anything that he would eat. It was almost like he was starting to give up. Stephen and I talked it over and decided that it was his time to see the vet for the last time. It almost seemed that when we would talk about it with him around, he would look at us as if to say "Yes, it is my time to go, even though I love you all very much".
When I took him for his last trip, he actually gave the vet and myself kisses. (This was unusual because every time we went to the vet, he always wanted to bite her and her assistants.) Somehow, he also found some strength to try to tip over her garbage can in the exam room. As I held him and the vet gave him his last shot, very slowly, he looked at the both of us and you could tell that he was thanking us and telling us that he loved us when he "talked" to us for the final time. Shortly afterwards, he went limp, and then about 30 seconds he took his last breath.
We know that he is waiting for us, but in the meantime, he's made himself known up in the place where all dogs go until we join them. This occurred on July 8, 1998, at the age of 14. We all miss him but we think of him every day.
My girls and I went out after a month and a half looking for someone who was raising Lhasa Apso's, but we were unable to, so we found someone that raised Shih Tzu's and got Daddy an early birthday present--a white and beige male pup. He loved it so much that he named him Bandit II. He helps us through the rough times, but he will never replace the first Bandit.
Pat and Stephen