Ode to Yoda

This isn't anything about nursing (though I did make an A in clinicals). This is the story of my Yoda. If you want nursing, come back another day. He was such a great guy, and had such a time of it, and I miss him more than I'm able to express. He was what my Mom calls your "heart dog". She said in every life, if you have pets, there is one that gets really deep in your heart. We all love our pets, but this is the special one who is more friend than pet, and you just don't ever get over him/her. He was that to me. I found Yoda while walking at a local middle school. He was drinking out of the sprinkler heads. I mentioned to my husband how cute he was, and that no one was paying any attention to him. I saw a tag hanging off his neck, so went to find out if I could track down his owner. It wasn't a tag, it was 6" long matted hair, and he had matching matted fur earings. In fact, his whole body was covered in ticks, burrs, and deep knotted matted up hair. He was adorable, even in that state. I looked at him and asked, "Are you a nice dog?". He raised one paw up, and waved to me. I asked him if he would follow me to the car, and he stood up and walked right beside me. I looked at my husband, and he was just shaking his head from side to side. I told him to be quiet and give me the car keys. He did, and when we got to the car, I opened the door, and he hopped right up. We would perform this action for the next four years. He was such a mess, that he had to be shaved to his skin. The burrs had burrowed down into his skin, and the groomer said he never even moved when she opened his skin up to dig them out. There were scabs everywhere. He was also heartworm positive and he went through the treatment without complaining one iota. He was so sick, but he still would wag his tail everytime he saw me. He had skin cancer, and endured a really extensive surgery. He never touch his sutures, and would always have a wag for the vet. He never had an accident in the house, and he loved his walks. He lived to hang out with me. That's all he required to be happy. He went on vacations with us, and trips to the post office. He was ok with the cats, but in reality, he didn't like them that much. If they left him alone, he did the same, but if they came to his area, he would lunge them and they would run away. He never commited one single violent act on anything or anyone. He had cancer all over his body, and never uttered a peep until the very, very end. I don't ever want to know how badly he hurt, but there was always a wag in his tail and a head for me to pet. He walked his last minute in the vets office the same way. He was a mensch. He really was, and I'll miss him as long as I live. Coming home is painful without his little head peering out the door for me waiting for my car to pull in the garage so that I could come in the house and give him a kiss. He cannot be replaced.