RIP Balou ♥

 My beloved baby left for a better place Friday. I still can't believe it. He just turned 11 years old.

Balou started to act weird Sunday night, the day I left for my vacations in Wildwood. He was really slow when he moved, like if he was lazy or something. He didn't not eat that night.

We thought that maybe he had eaten something he shouldn't have, that he would get better soon.

So I left for Wildwood with my brother and my father, and I didn't stop thinking about Balou, telling myself he could only get better.

I spoke one time with my mother on the phone when I was in Wildwood, and she told me Balou wouldn't get up, eat or drink. I was really worrying.

We came home Friday around 9:00 PM, and I knew something was wrong when Balou didn't get up to welcome us. I saw in his eyes that he wasn't feeling good.

He was breathing strangely and he almost couldn't move. His eyes were almost close.

Later that night, all of a sudden, his eyes opened wide, and he started breathing heavily. He must have felt that it was coming,

My mother, my father and I stayed with him until the end. My mother told him "You can go, Balou.", and he calmly did.

We don't know for sure what happened to him, but the vet told us it must have been a heart attack. Animals are great at hiding it when they are sick, that's why Balou was feeling bad for almost a week. I'm sure he was waiting for us to come back before allowing himself to leave.

The vet also told us that we were "lucky", in a certain way, that Balou left for dog heaven at home, because we didn't have to go through the painful euthanasia process. I understand what she means, and it helps me to accept that Balou is gone, because I told myself it could have been worse.

I believe Balou left without suffering, and surrounded by people who love him very, very much.

I will never forget you, my beloved doggie.

RIP Balou

May 12th 1999 - July 9th 2010