In heroic tales, there’s usually a primary sidekick for the main character. The sidekick is particularly close to the hero, and usually the most loyal. They generally follow the hero with an unwavering belief in the quest. A good example is Robin, Batman’s sidekick.
If we’re all the heroes of our own stories, then I just said goodbye to my sidekick. His name was Fonzie, like the character from Happy Days. Just like his namesake, Fonzie was the coolest.
Dogs are stereotypically faithful. Fonzie was that, and more. He also challenged me. He tested the limits of my patience with his antics. There were the occasional “biological accidents” in the house. He insisted on barking at neighborhood menaces like small children and the elderly.
When my family and I took him for walks, there would be a clear moment when Fonzie was done with the exercise. At that moment, he would turn and start pulling me in the direction of home. As a West Highland Terrier/Poodle/Maltese mix, he always weighed no more than 18 pounds, so he never won that particular tug-of-war.
Fonzie also challenged the depths of my ability to love. I never thought I could feel such strong emotion for a four-legged friend. Sure, I had plenty of pets before him, but the little guy managed to worm his way into my heart, over the years, deeper than any other animal companion.
When my then-fiancé (now my wife) first brought Fonzie home, I wasn’t so sure about him. Here was a shaggy, floppy-eared puppy with poop in his fur (he had his first biological accident during the car ride to our house). Like any good sidekick, however, he proved himself a worthy companion time and again.
The Fonz was with us for over 16 years. During that span—more years than many dogs ever see—he was there for our family through the proverbial thick and thin. His fur absorbed our stress when we rubbed his belly after a tough day, and it absorbed our tears when we cried. He made us laugh with his acrobatics as he jumped like a pogo stick when we came through the front door. In the full glory of his canine youth, Fonzie could tear around the yard at lighting speed. No one could catch him when he turned on the afterburners.
Time eventually caught up with our fur baby, as it does for all of us. Fonzie developed heart issues. Arthritis took away his high jump and speed. His accidents became frequent enough that we had to buy him diapers. His sight dimmed and his hearing diminished. We did what we could with medications to prolong his life. We showered Fonzie with all the love and affection we could muster in the time he had left.
Fonzie’s family was with him when the traveling vet came to our home on a bright winter afternoon. We fed him like a king beforehand. We took him outside one last time to feel the wind and the sunlight. We were there with him when the injections took hold and he slipped away. I’m not the least bit ashamed to say I wept like a baby when they took away my shaggy, floppy-eared buddy’s limp body.
Farewell, Fonzie. You predated my marriage and my human children. You stayed true and loyal to our family when many two-legged beasts who should know better tried to play us for fools. In the hero’s journey of life, you were the best sidekick a guy could ever ask for, hands down. I love you forever.
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Photos courtesy of the author.