Saying Goodbye to a Beloved Friend

We had to say goodbye to Hank on Friday. We're sure gonna miss him, but we're so thankful to have had 15 wonderful years with him. He was 17+ years old and still such a loving and loyal protector and friend.

We were looking for a new friend for Sadie when we adopted him. We had gone to one of the local animal rescues and saw a few dogs, but none of them worked out. We were leaving when we came upon a pen that had a dog we hadn't seen yet and asked about him. The caretakers kinda dismissed the idea and said they hadn't shown him to us because they were sure it wouldn't work. Well, Sadie had her own ideas and was eager to meet the dog. They reluctantly let us in and it was like Sadie had met her soulmate. Hank. Him and Sadie just immediately started playing and chasing each other. The caretakers were shocked because they said he was scared of everything and everyone. They couldn't believe how his whole demeanor changed. We brought him home and he fit right in.

Hank was a fierce protector and the best friend you could ask for. He definitely had some big fears, but he was always so brave and would face them head on. He kept us safe from the UPS man and took that job very seriously. He could hear those box trucks coming from a mile away and would let everyone know that they were coming. They weren't gonna sneak up on us. Not on Hank's watch.

He was also really good about letting us know when someone was in the neighborhood who he thought shouldn't be there. If anybody came around that he didn't know, they got told in no uncertain terms that they weren't welcome around here.

He had a few "incidents" with some chickens but absolutely loved baby chicks. And baby goats? Oh my goodness, he couldn't get enough of them. He'd give them lots of kisses and loved watching them.

 

He was obsessed with keeping his feet clean (and all the other dogs' feet too, lol!). Whenever Daisy, our German Shepherd, got her feet muddy or wet, she'd run to Hank and he'd get them all cleaned up for her.

Hank really was the best. He was such a sweet guy and a fighter to the end. We're gonna miss him so much.