Originally posted on Thinkers’ Podium on the 30th of January, 2007.

If you’ve been reading what I write for the past year or so, you will remember my dog Joe, who has been (as a reductio ad absurdum) argued to be God by way of a non-falsifiable hypothesis. Joe’s a fun loving dog, and if he could understand the absurdity of Intelligent Design and the Flying Spaghetti Monster, I’m sure he’d have found it funny.

Unfortunately, Joe hasn’t had much to smile about lately. After years of slowly losing control over his back legs, he’s finally lost all control together and let me tell you, it’s not as endearing as scenario as that experienced by that dog on Family Guy. Further, Joe has recently had an outbreak of demodectic mange which is quite ugly and quite irritating for him. The sad thing is, in old dogs (Joe would have been born in late 1992), in 70% of instances, outbreaks of demodectic mange point towards cancer.

Joe hasn’t been doing too well. The real giveaway though is that Joe doesn’t smile much anymore. Joe used to smile most of the time just a couple of months ago and when he was younger, could barely be seen without a smile. Immobile, unhappy, sick and uncomfortable, we’ve decided to do the humane thing and have the little fella put to sleep this Friday.

I’ll remember how he used to be the most dexterous dog I’d ever seen; as a young dog jumping up the barbecue like a mountain goat to stand on top of the chimney and look over the neighbour’s fence. I’ll remember his cheeky sense of humour and naughty nature, a nature that did however have limits; Joe never tore up good clothes, just old rags; he once jumped up on my young cousin who then cried and so he never jumped up on a child again (even though it was pretty harmless to begin with). I’ll remember how if he was hurt and someone was distressed for him, he’d be more concerned with cheering them up than about his own injury.

Joe has been a smart dog, an independent dog and even a crazy dog, but also a kind and good friend. A better friend to others than a lot of people in my estimation to be frank.

Bye bye little buddy.

 

RIP Joe 1992-2007.