Brutus

Last night, my sister called saying she was on the way to the emergency vet clinic with Brutus. He has been pretty sick on and off for the last few months, but meds weren't working this go around. He was scheduled for an appointment this morning, actually, for cancer screening.

As soon as Ashley walked into the clinic with Brutus last night, they just took him to the back without her. And as soon as she told me that, David and I decided that I needed to drive out to Scottsdale to be with her just in case.

Unfortunately, the "just in case" was for good reason. The vet told Ashley that chances were good that he had lymphoma, and because of the symptoms he was showing last night, she suspected that he had a tumor somewhere in his brain. After a lot of discussion and a LOT of tears, it was decided to just let Brutus go peacefully and not have him suffer through his illness any longer.

Brutus was 9 years old: old for a boxer. A boxer who was considered an "abnormality" due to his white coat. But Brutus was the best dog I have ever seen (sorry Kodi!). He was fiercely protective of Ashley and was just as protective of my children. He and Kehlton had a special bond from the day we brought K home from the hospital. They loved each other tremendously. Even on Brutus' sickest days, he would still allow Kehlton to climb all over him. As I was sitting with Ashley and Brutus last night, I just kept wondering if I had taken enough photos of him with the kids over the years.

My sister has seen a lot of heartache over the 7 or so years that she's had Brutus. She has experienced trauma and pain that no person should ever have to live through. And through all of that, Brutus was right by her side. He was her protector, her confidant, her best friend. He will be greatly missed by all of us!