Mongo

That's Mongo.  He passed away this week, after a short illness.

Mongo was a good dog.  Real laid back.  Just liked to mosey, and find someplace to watch the world.  He was patient, and slow to rile, but was intensely loyal and could be fearsome when he felt his people were threatened. 

He was a big dog.  About 150 pounds when we had a growth removed from his forepaw just before Christmas.  His head came to my mid torso, when we stood side by side.

He was goofy.  He LOVED snow. 

He was made for winter.  He was part Kangal, part German.  He was a Shepherd in every sense of the word.

He loved to wander.  He loved to mosey. 

He once got between Shyam and a pissed off mama cow.

He once truly, truly disliked a UPS delivery driver. 

I've always trusted dogs' judgment of people.  Mongo's high among those.  He was friendly with everybody.  That delivery man was the only person I ever saw him react negatively to.

He got sick last week.  Went off his food.   We switched to soft food, in case his teeth were hurting.  He showed some improvement.  But slipped over the weekend.

We tried the emergency vet in Charleston, but they didn't have a veterinarian on duty on a Sunday morning.  (And let me say something, Bradley-McMinn Pet Emergency Clinic, that's pretty shitty).  We took him on to Chattanooga, where the vet prescribed some antibiotics and painkillers.

His condition continued to drop precipitously Sunday. 

We had to have him put to sleep Monday.  He was in too much pain.

I only got to live with him for a couple years, but I knew him for more than seven. 

He was a good dog.

The house seems very empty without him.

Even with the Siamese maniac running around like a lunatic.

Mongo was a good boy.  May he rest in peace.  May we meet him again at the clearing at the end of the path.....