Retro 2005 Grover

 

Grover

 

 

     It is with great sadness that I must tell you that the Great Grover, hall of fame pup and beloved Chernoff-Creason family member entered Rainbow Bridge this morning at 11am. Grover was unable to stand on his own power as of last Friday and rallied slightly after a cortisone shot eased the pain in his hind quarters but he had stopped eating and it was feared that he was in physicall distress. My Mom, brother, sister and I stood by him, hugged his eminently loveable face and gazed into his kind, soulful eyes for the last time this morning. It was the last favor for a big guy who has brought joy to all of our family for most of a very sweet four years.

     The grief that his illness brought galvanized the family and brought folks in from all over the area to participate in Grover's farewell tour, which ran over the weekend. Stephen came from Silverado, Christine, Mark, Shaun and Jeff from Placentia, Jill from Riverside with all her kids, and Sunny from Aguanga. Calls came in from Colorado and love sent in e-mail and telephone calls. When his illness would not allow him to stand on Friday evening Cheryl pulled a comforter into the kitchen and slept beside him, comforting him until the morning.  As he was throughout his reign in my Mom's house Grovie was showered with love by all. The kids made get-well cards and never stopped petting him or reaffirming our opinion that he was a good boy, in fact the best boy in the world. Even though he was clearly on his last legs and struggled to get upright, when I arrived and called out to him he jumped up immediately and ran to me with a powerful tail wagging vigorously. I hugged him and held him and let some tears loose for a real dog in a household of his canine admirers.  The ride to the vet was one of the longest with my Mom's sobs taking us deeper and deeper into the sorrow of his passing. Yet, when the anesthetic was administered he took it bravely as always and just went to sleep, peacefully, with no fear or discomfort.

     I may not believe in God or pie in the sky but I do prefer to accept the notion of Rainbow Bridge. I trust he is there now, greeted by Maniac and Lydia who will show him the very best places to make a mark in the afterlife. I would hope Joel is there to take him back where he belongs. The sadness of their last years together were more than made up for by the spoiling Grovie received at my Mom's. Grover was raised with love from his puppyhood and his bad times were relatively few.  Believe me when I tell you that the pleasure was all ours when it came to taking Grover into our family. He was a ray of sunshine for all of us and was deeply loved, not only by the humans but by the animals too. Gracie the dachshund and Grover had a special bond. To see them together just couldn't fail to make you feel great. Grover was much more that a pet, he was a wonderful component of those things that make a home a home. He was the blood of our hearts, an unforgettable, lovely boy.