For Chico, with love.

I regret deeply, that I have no pictures I could upload of Chico. He looks just like the dog, seen in the photo, above. An uncanny resemblance; more loyal, than any man has been to me, in my lifetime. I have always had a soft spot for dogs. My first: a German Shepard puppy we called "Hutch". I'll never forget his coat: straight, brown, and shiny. I'm 41 years old, and I still have long term memories of him. We were good friends. He, was my first friend.

There were a string of other pets or shall I say, family members our family had...Like Milo. He was light brown. I believe he was a Labrador mix. I can't be too sure. Milo had a habit of following me everywhere, which ended up being his downfall. I still cry about Milo...He was just a puppy when it happened.

One day he slipped through the gate and ran into the street. He was hit, by a car, because of me. I believe I was about seven, maybe eight. Anyway, I ran out to comfort him, and the little rascal bit me. HARD. I can still feel him biting me, but I knew he was in much greater pain, than I was.

My mom and I rushed him to the Humane Society of St. Louis where there, they euthanized him. And with all honesty, I believe this was the first time I felt, heartbreak. I still think of Milo, to this day. There is a scar on my right hand. And though he is gone, that scar reminds me of how he loved me so; unconditionally. It reminded me to be more responsible with things and people I claim to love.

But this story is in remembrance of the bravest, most loyal, dog I have seen as of late. His name was Chico.

When Chico interrupted our lives, I was not looking for a dog at the time. My son and I had just moved, and by surprise, my now ex at the time brought him home.

At first, I was a little pissed. But, something was going on with him. I could tell by his demeanor that he had been mistreated in the past. When we got him, he was already grown, and I could not tell you his exact age when we got him. it was, 2007, 2008. He died, in...2019.

When we first acquired Chico, he was literally, a nervous wreck. Always shaking. Always growling. If you got too close to his tail or his "pork and beans" for lack of a better word, he would give you a serious low bark.

Sometimes, he would flat out bite you. But for the most part, he was a good dog. But I digress, if he felt irritated or felt you would harm him or us in anyway he w0uld give you a nip. However, overtime I grew to love him. And he loved me. He was something else.

My son was maybe 10 or 11 when we got him. They absolutely could not stand each other. Chico was very annoyed, and didn't fool with children. But each night, he slept in my son's bed. They had a weird relationship. It was definitely a love or hate thing. But, in the end, I know my son loved him. And in the end, I know Chico loved him too..

On his first day there, I picked him up and felt that he was shaking, so, for whatever reason, I began to sing, "How much is that doggy in the window?" "The one with the waggily tail."

"How much is that doggy in the window? I do hope that doggy's for sale."

I would sing this to him almost everyday. Over time he stopped shaking. He still would growl, but he knew he could trust us. He had let his dog guard, down.

This song, became a theme in our household. We had him for just 12, maybe 13 years. How and why he was taken in the manner at which it happened is still confusing, but me and the s/o were not seeing eye to eye.

One night, I got into a huge fight with my now ex-boyfriend, who had an irritating habit of leaving my door open, after he stormed out.

Chico ran outside to use the bathroom, and this bastard took him and threw him in his car, out of spite and drove off.

I never saw Chico again.

I hated my now ex-boyfriend and had made up in my mind, that I would deal with him just to get my dog back.

He felt, that I loved the dog more than I loved him, and at that point I did. He used that to his advantage to get me to do things I didn't necessarily want to do.

This relationship had always been toxic. But I didn't see it until he took the one thing that showed me unconditional love on a DAILY basis, just to hurt me. The ex, told me, "He was never your dog. He's my dog." Dirty Son of a bitch.

But I, had cared for him. I, had bought the dog food; took him for walks. When he lost his balance, and started walking sideways, I took him to the vet. Anytime he heard anything, he alerted us with his bark. He was a small dog, but I'd never seen a dog, with as much heart as Chico. He had a soul that most people couldn't touch.

He was an angel, sent to protect me from an evil man. I wish, I had saw the evil sooner. Had I did that, Chico would probably still be alive. I know he died of a broken heart. And no, I wasn't there to see it...but I just know.

I know I shouldn't hate a man, over a dog. But ironically, this was when I started to see just what type of man, I was dealing with. To this day, this man gets a kick out of seeing me hurt. But, it was what he did, that sparked the beginning of the end between me and this monster I slept with every night.

My Chico had a companion along his journey named Meena. She was a tea cup chihuahua. She too fell victim to my ex, but that, is another story.

Chico wasn't for the weak. He was on old man, trapped in the body of a mighty dog. He was not a coward, by any means. He was small, but he was strong; A furry, little man, who made a huge impact in our lives.

One day, he ran out the front door, and encountered a vicious enemy. I believe it was half German Shepard and half wolf. Luckily, the owner had a tight leash on his dog, because I know for a fact Chico would have been dog food. But, you couldn't tell him that!

The imposter was on our front, and somebody had to do something about it. He didn't waiver. HE DIDNT RUN AWAY WITH HIS TAIL BETWEEN HIS LEGS. He ran right up on "Kujo" like he was superdog or some shit. He was protecting us.

My ex, gave Chico to a sketchy relative and he passed in their care. I know he was not disposed of properly. I wished I could have buried him in my yard. That's how much, he meant to my family. He was a great guard dog, even through his sickness, years down the line, he never stopped barking. He never stopped showing excitement when we came home. He never changed.

I'll never forget the night he actually sang back to us, months before his departure.

My son and I had been gone all day. When we arrived, he began to howl. So I started singing his "song" and he, well....he howled it back. We made him do it few times, just to make sure we were hearing what we were hearing. Never had I seen or heard of a dog singing. But this one, this one did.

I say all this to say, that pets, are sent from heaven; They cant speak, but their actions could teach alot of humans, how to love; how to feel; wanted. Appreciated. Missed. Loved. Everyday when I came home from work, Chico was actually glad to see me. He showed me more love than the fake love of my life. A damn dog, loved me more than the man, who gave him to me, then took him away.

"How much is doggy in the window?" As I write this I shed tears.

"The one with the waggilly tail." He protected my home and he loved us.

"How much is that doggy in the window?"

We will NEVER FORGET YOU.

"I do hope that doggy's for sale."

Rest in peace Chico.

We miss you so.