Joxer The Mighty

Fourteen years ago,

a neighbor found an injured puppy scavenging for food at her school.

He had bat ears, stubby legs, and a jaunty tail.

We named him "Joxer," for this guy on Xena Warrior Princess:

They both had a goofy charm, so the name fit.

He was, in the way of dogs, everyone's best friend,

and he became a part of our family.

He kept us company and entertained us,

and we loved our --in the words of an amused passerby--

 "funny-lookin', big-headed dog."

But as he got older, his bum knee was joined by a bad back,

and then creaky hips, 

and then everything just seemed to fall apart.

The Sweet Man and I wryly joked that we only had to clean up his messes

on days that ended in "y,"

and we wondered if we should buy stock in these...

 ...since we surely 

were moving some serious inventory.

But through it all he always tottered to his feet,

tail slowly wagging despite his pain,

glad to see us.

Several times we thought he was already gone,

and then he was so bad off we started hoping he was already gone,

but he was like a soldier who wouldn't desert his post.

He was our dog, and he wasn't going to give up.

We realized we were going to relieve him of his post,

and we did the last, kind thing that a pet owner can do.

As the vet gave him the injection,

we stroked his head and whispered to him,

"Good dog, good dog... you've always been a good dog."

Because he was.

He was always our good dog.