Farewell Cocobolo

Our beautiful Colobolo passed over into the realm of memory yesterday. We are utterly heartbroken. It all happened so quickly. She was such a joy. The silence is deafening. She leaves us and her sister Bronwyn with giant holes in our hearts.

She was about 13 (our vet office at the time argued over if she was 2 or 4 when we got her, so we split the difference) and we had 10 amazing years with her. She was in good spirits and had a chance to see many of our friends and family on the 4th before an inoperable mass effecting her bladder left us no choice but to give her peace.

Coco was a rescue who we got after our first Anatolian Shepard passed away and our second Anatolian Bronwyn, who met adult Autumn as a puppy, suddenly didn't know how to be a dog without her big sister. We found Coco listed as being in need of a home.

She was several states away, a rescue who was found tied to a tree outside a infrequently used fire station training center. The family who was fostering her said they'd had seven people before us inquire, but when they met it was an obvious bad match. When I walked in the door, Coco knocked me down licked my face and sat on me begging for affection. She chose us immediately.

Coco was a bit mischievous and strong-willed about doing what she wanted, but her overwhelming trait was to be sweet and cuddly. 100+ lbs of cuddle with a big jowly face who could hold your arm down to prevent you from leaving and petting her further.

Many of the photos I'm sharing of our beloved girl are of her napping or just waking up from naps, it's because she was leery of people taking photos of her.

Within just a few months of us getting her, she blew her CCL (similar to an ACL in humans) and needed surgery. It was a hard recovery for her that took months, so when her other CCL went (which the vets told us would likely be the case--if one goes the other is about a year behind) a year and a half later, we did the other leg, but with a different procedure that would have a faster healing and recovery.

We know many folks didn't understand us putting the amount of orthopedic money into a dog––but she really was that special. I know everyone feels that way about their dog(s), but I can tell you that this was different. She connected to us on a level intellectually and emotionally differently than most other dogs I've owned or known.

My Mom was in the early stages of dementia setting in due to her Parkinson's, and Coco became her whisperer. Our dog could settle my Mom down and calmly look inter he eyes and just be there with her. This continued even after Mom moved in to our home for the final years of her life, and Coco was there with her every day keeping her company and being especially gentle for her size with Mom.

I mentioned before that she was mischievous––She once broke through a window screen onto the roof because I left the house with my Mom without taking her. I was dropping my Mom off at a care facility when my across the street neighbor texted me and asked if I knew my dog was on the roof. I drove home as quickly as I could and spent no time outside (for fear Coco would try to jump down to me) and ran in the house calling her name until I got to the broken window and got her back inside safely. Heart attack at the time, but a story for life.

And we will certainly miss her life in this house. She was loud (she barked at planes in the sky, and howled along with any sirens), she let you know what she wanted (food, potty, affection, you to move out of the spot she wanted to curl up in), and she was a real companion who wanted to share our lives. And she certainly did––and us in hers.

Rest in peace good girl. We will always love you because no amount of time would have been enough to spend with you.