Big Ben's Big Journey

Big Ben's story started in the summer of 2013 when I graduated from high school. My mother was never a pet person yet she cared for animals but would never let me have a pet of my own until I moved out of the house. So I started dating this boy that I had known a long time and I started to stay at his place due to family issues with my mom. This boy and I fell in love and Big Ben was the beginning of our family. We were out and about on one of our million dates we went on and started talking about dogs. I was so interested because this boy had 3 of them. All I wanted was a dog to call my own and to care for. So we struck up a conversation and decided to go look at the local animal shelter to see if there was any possible way we could take a buddy home. We started to walk and look through the different cages and saw dogs of many different sizes. Most of them were younger and would have been adopted in a few days. But then we came across this big golden bear of a dog in a cage and he looked adult but not too old and seemed slightly scared and a little excited. We asked the head of the shelter if we could possibly bring him out and see if he would like us. Within seconds my boyfriend and I fell in love with Big Ben. Clearly so did he because he came up to us and started wagging his tail like he knew us all his life. The head of the animal shelter started crying and said to us that he had been there for almost 9 months and that he was scheduled to be euthanized in 3 days. My boyfriend and I looked at each other and knew immediately what we needed to do. We paid his adoption fee and brought him home to his house because my mom did not allow pets. This caused me to move out with my boyfriend and raise Mr. Benjamin together. He was a chow and golden retriever mix so he had some breathing problems. Overall his health was fine. He was the best dog you could have ever asked for and ten years later I am married to my husband who was then my boyfriend. And in August of last year Mr. Ben reached the age of departure and left us and is an angel in heaven. We gave Mr. Ben almost 10 wonderful years although I should say that he gave them to us. That day, if we never decided to go to the animal shelter we would have never met him. He was a loving and cozy friend and was always there for you no matter what went on in our lives. He will be forever missed and always be apart of our minds and hearts. Long live the golden boy, 'The bear dOge' Mr. Big Ben.