My heart is cracked wide open as Mickey is back together with Cheri. I’m having a hard time finding the words for this one. Today, I lost my buddy, my best friend, my cuddle bug, my Mr. Boots, my Mickey Mouse, my pretty boy, and my furry son.
He was such a pretty and sweet boy. He loved people so much, especially babies, and even more so me. I was his person, and he was always there for me for 16 3/4 years. He never left my side, or rather my lap. I don’t believe that I will ever have a more beautiful or cuddly dog again.
He was such a fighter. He had more lives than a cat, beating death time and time again, always bouncing back when no one thought it was possible. After his 2-week long stay in the ICU at OVRS, no one thought that he would live long (maybe a couple months), but he went on to live over 3 more years. I could not have asked more of him. He gave life all that he had, and he never gave up. I was beyond lucky to have him as long as I did.
No one will ever love you like your dog loves you. No words can express how much I loved him back, but I feel like I can never repay him for all of the love and joy that he brought into my life. Dogs are selfless, and they love unconditionally. Although I feel like I could never repay Mickey for all of his love, I did try my very best. I treated him like I hope someone will treat me someday when I’m old or sick. It was a privilege taking care of him for so long, and he will forever be in my heart.
Mickey was born outside of Houston, Texas, and he joined our family at 12 weeks old in December 2005 (via Continental Cargo). He was a lover and a cuddler from the start. Cheri wasn’t too sure about him until she taught him how to play chase. She also taught him how to go down stairs. Mickey loved Cheri and always wanted to be by her, but as many know, they also had some epic fights (always started by Mickey, but almost always won by Cheri). Mickey was lucky to live in the same town as his littermate (and clone), Cookie. The two of them saw each other regularly with play dates, walks in the park, joint birthday parties, and of course fights anytime they stood by each other longer than 30 seconds. Those two were exactly alike, and now, they are together again. Mickey was a show dog having professional handlers in Ohio and Texas (where he went to “boarding school”). Mickey had a gorgeous coat, which others envied. He competed in and traveled with family to over 20 states. He was an excellent traveler, and probably the only toy poodle to summit Gorham Mountain (via sherpa) in Maine. While Mickey was excellent with people, 120% trustworthy with babies, he was something else with other dogs. He pretty much thought that other dogs were only good for fighting, humping, or peeing on, and these ideas usually lead to trouble and ended our dog park days. But, Mickey always redeemed himself with his good looks and charm. Mickey was so pretty, that a woman once cooed at him as he peed on her purse. Luckily, Mickey was excellent with people and had a ton of charm, often cuddling in anyone’s lap who visited (even Steve’s work colleagues during business meetings). Everyone loved Mickey. Mickey was notorious for loving babies, and he would cry anytime a baby in a car seat came to visit until he was able to see and interact with the baby. At almost 9 years old, he finally got “his own baby,” and he loved Lisette like crazy. He would follow her everywhere and cry if he couldn’t see her in her swing or mamaroo. On walks, he had to go in the stroller with her, and he never left her crib-side during naps. He always seemed to make his way on my lap when I was breastfeeding, cuddling his new best friend. My cuddle bug often laid on my chest like a baby when I was reclined watching TV. He always tried to cuddle with Cheri when she would put up with it. We didn’t know how Mickey was going to handle Cheri’s death last June as he had never been the only dog, but he seemed to thrive in getting all of our attention. He was an awesome only dog, and we really enjoyed having him almost a year by himself. Mickey also liked to play with toys. But what he loved most in life was me. I was the lucky one.
I can’t think of Mickey and not recall how he lived up to his name “Million Dollar Mickey” given all of medical bills due to his near death experiences and ailments. To name a few, he jumped off our 25-foot high deck, and miraculously lived. He had 3 eye surgeries including a graft for a melting ulcer. He was hospitalized a few times including an ICU for 14 days from eating rotting eggs found in the yard. He battled back from complete kidney failure and bounced back from a bad stroke. He went into spontaneous recession from leukemia. Despite having kidney disease, chronic and severe pancreatitis, IBD, high blood pressure, leukemia, hypothyroidism, chronic eye issues, chronic nasal infections and coughing, etc., he finally got taken down by reoccurring strokes probably caused by a brain tumor. It was one of the hardest things ever.
Thank you Mickey for being the best and prettiest dog that I could ever have and for being my baby and companion. I hope that you know how much I love you and how I tried my best to care for you. You were a lover and a fighter, and you gave it your all. Thank you for a job well done. “Good boy!” You will be deeply missed.
Please pray for us as we go through this difficult time. And, please bear with me – because to me, he was never just a dog, he was my family, and I love him. This hurts like hell, and for the first time in 18 years, I’m dogless, and I don’t know how I’m going to do that yet.
Ch Kay’s Million Dollar Mickey at DuBuc
September 5, 2005 – June 7, 2022
16 3/4 years old