Luc

Last night I got a call from my mom that I had been dreading for awhile. They had decided that they should put our family dog down. I wasn't surprised - he had been in very poor health for about a year and a half now. He was getting by on medication and perked up some after surgery, but was not his usual self anymore and was probably very uncomfortable. Yesterday his health took a very sharp dive, and I know the right decision was made. I still feel very sad though.

Luc: March 8 1996 - February 22 2012 (photo taken in 2008)

I remember the day we brought him home as a puppy. We purchased him from an at-home bichon breeder. His original name was Luke Skywalker, and his brother's name was Forest Gump (from popular movies at the time). They were both so tiny and cute! Little white fur balls. I remember that the poor little guy cried all the way to our house and it took him awhile to get used to his new family. We renamed him Luc (pronounced Luke, but French like the bichon breed). 

Our first picture of Luc in 1996! Now part of the family!

Luc loved to play - he especially loved pop bottles at first (and scorned dog toys in favor of them).  Later he decided pop bottles were no fun anymore and chose the stuffed toys with squeakers. He grew fast (and so did his hair!). We always thought he was on the large size for a bichon.

Luc 1997

Early on he got into some shenanigans. I remember one year he ate a small Christmas light bulb. Another year my sisters and I were in the backyard while Luc was inside. My mom had just made fresh baked cookies and left them to cool on the table. Well Luc jumped up on the table and started to eat the cookies! My sisters and I spotted him and yelled, "Luc! No! Stop!" He saw us running to the door and ate the cookies FASTER! What a sneak. 

Luc went on lots of family trips with us. He went camping a lot and even went to Florida a few times and the west coast too! I remember on one day of our west coast trip we went to a beach that was quite empty - so we let the little dog run around leash free. He was exuberant and ran in giant circles around us with pure glee! Here we all are after all the fun:

Luc with his family on the west coast 2001

By chance I recently came across a painting that really captured this moment. I bought a print of it for my youngest sister for her birthday this past year (she has been taking care of Luc for the past couple years). I don't think I can post a picture of the painting, but here is a link to it in the artist's shop:

Bichon Frise at the Beach by D J Rogers

Luc 2007

What a good (spoiled rotten) little dog. I will miss him very much.