Bo Penrod
Male Mini Schnauzer - Gray
Born March 1994 - Died March 2005

Bo was born a breeders reject. He was due to euthanized when my wife found him. He had been born with a birth defect, a small hole in his throat. This was unacceptable to the breeder. His chances of survival were 50/50.
The first time I saw Bo my 14 year old son was holding him and grinning from ear to ear. I didn't much care for dogs in the house, and the fact he was a little dog was especially upsetting. Thought they were just to dainty. Bo turned out to be the most fearless dog I had ever seen.
It happened slowly, the way he won my heart. I tried to resist, calling him a sissy with his haircut in the classic schnauzer cut, but he seemed to somehow know he looked special after a groom. He ended up going lots of places with our family.
He was never any trouble and was more human than some humans I have known.
He had a special ball that he would always seek out and play with, he learned tricks so fast he amazed me.
His 11 years passed so quickly. My wife and I went our separate ways. Bo went with her. Two years went by before I saw him again. He remembered me immediately, and came running to me. I took him home and he stayed with me the last two years of his life. I took him everywhere with me. We would walk to the mailbox every evening and walk to a pond near our rent home every morning before going to work. Bo loved to walk, he held his little head high and you would think he was on top of the world. Things were good.
Then over thanksgiving last year Bo fainted and everything changed. The doctor said he had congestive heart disease and he would probably get worse, but with the proper medication he should be around for awhile longer.
Bo lived another three months, he had good days and bad. I never accepted the fact that he would someday be gone. Hes been gone 2 months now and I grieve for him every day. A part of me died with Bo, I will never be the same again. He touched my life so sweetly and I loved him with all my heart. I know he loved me to, I could see it when I would come home from work, or after having been gone for a while. I have never had anything so sure as he was.
I will always remember my best friend and companion, I pray he and I will someday walk together again. I pray he is somewhere now in a place that you never grow old and the walks go on and on and on.

Bo sounds like a sweet little man, froofy haircut and all. I've always loved smaller dogs(but then I tend to love any dog I see), even though my first and only love was my Carey Sue. Probably always will be, as I'm sure is the case with most pet owners. Each takes up a big and special place in our lives, even when they must leave us.

I think the sentiment that we never accept the inevitability of our beloved animals' death is almost universally acknowledged. No matter how long these special creatures are with us, it's always too soon that they must go. The pain you feel is tangible, isn't it, a knot in your heart and in your stomach? We know that agony, and we're with you. Love the days you had with him, as you so obviously do, and realize that every one of them was a precious gift. Your little baby boy is still with you, as surely as he ever was, and always will be! His is a fount of neverending love - that is the wonder of these small creatures - *and it will never leave you*! Trust in that, and you will *always always always* walk with him, every day for the rest of your life. I don't believe these creatures, these sublime gifts, end their devotion and companionship to us in death. I believe it goes on.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. Cling tight to your beliefs, and your faith, because it's that and the solace of compassion that will get you through these hard times.

God bless!

What a wonderful tribute to your precious Bo. I could plainly see him as a darling puppy in the arms of your sweet grinning son. You painted the picture so well I could see step by step how you came to love your precious Bo and how much he meant to you. You will walk together with him again some day, it's the waiting that is so hard. Hugs
Ann

A beautiful tribute to Bo! Faded Grace, what a beautiful response!
Marcia

Darrell,

Simply beautiful, your story about Bo.

Lynn

I am grieving with you. Bo was a wonderful friend to you and he will never forget you. I am positive that our friends are just waiting for us to get to the other side and we will be together again.

Elizabeth

Thank you for your caring replies.
Today was an anniversary of sorts. Bo left this life on a Wednesday so many days ago. It was a rough day for me. Started at 02:00 a.m. this morning when I woke up to let him outside. Got up at 05:30 a.m. and was on an emotional roller coaster as I tried to get ready for work. Took me a lot longer than normal trying to see through wet eyes.
Thought of him often during the day, some thoughts were happy, most were sad because I miss him badly. I dreaded coming home from work today worse than usual,
His vienna suasages are still in the cabinet, his day bed is still in the kitchen window, his food bowl waits on the counter, and his leash hangs near the door. His memory is everywhere,
Am I just trying to extend my grieving, why can't I put these things away? Friends tell me its time to put the things away, but I can't seem to convince myself.
The day is almost over now, things have got to get better soon,

Dear Darrell,

Your story about Bo is so very touching. I know exactly how you feel when you said that you feel a part of you died with Bo. I felt like that with Shiloh, and, honestly, I still do. She was such a special friend and companion...it sounds like Bo was that to you, too.

I'm so sorry for your loss.
Kathleen

Dear Bo,
Today marks the fourth month since your leaving. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you left. Somehow the routine goodbye I said to you that morning falls far short of how I would have said good bye had I known you would slip away while I was at work.
Things are ok here I guess, I still think of you every day, but I only cry now every other day. I wish I knew where you are, people say your at the rainbow bridge, but I don't know. All I know is that I pray that god has put you in a happy place and that you are well again.
I had a dream about you and me the other night. You were chasing a rabbit and did not come back to me when I called. Not much different than real life, since I still call you every day and you don't come then either. But I know you would come if you could.
Some folks think I'm crazy for still grieving and thinking of you, there are much more important things to worry about they say. Its just that they don't have a clue to how much I loved you.
Crazy? I guess, but you were my little 19 pound anchor in life.
I sure hope you get to go for truck rides where you are, I know how much you loved them, and hopefully you have friends to walk with, you walked so proudly when we had time to take them.
I wish we had taken more, I just always thought we had more time,
I went to the cemetary this morning. I stood by your grave and thought about the things we used to do. I remembered how happy we were in our little trailer house by the lake. I remembered the little things you used to do that made me smile. I miss you Bo, and I will always miss you.
Well I guess I better go, my eyes hurt and I'm really tired. God bless and keep you Bo until we see each other again.
Love,
Dad