Bear

His name was Triton….a submarine?? It was all wrong. He was vibrant white, elegant and stately like a Polar bear. His name would be Bear.
He was a baby, just 15 months old, with no experience of anything outside his kennel where he was born. He was terrified of everything, including people. He would panic if anything moved near him. Loud noises caused him to drop to the ground and then bolt. The same as many soldiers returning from war with PTSD. Although he was frequently terrified, he never once showed any aggression toward me.

We took him to the dog park. He was afraid of the people and the dogs. He would stay close to me where I sat, usually behind me. If any dogs or people went near him, he would move away. Borzoi were not common where we live so everyone wanted to see and touch him.
I would call him to me for back and ear rubs, also causing him to be closer to other people. Eventually he started to let a few people touch him that were sitting next to me. In that way we increased the size of his “circle” of friends.

He progressed more every day. He was still reserved with people but he was starting to have fun. At home he would go in our bedroom when I was in the other part of the house and he would get on out bed. When I heard barking, I knew he was playing with a slipper or shoe. I would sneak up and look in and he would freeze. I never yelled at him. I would just sit on the bed and pet him. It was so nice to see him that relaxed.
It took two and a half years before I saw the “light in his eyes” that meant he was having fun, that look of enjoyment. Bear was coming along nicely and enjoying life more and spooking less.
One day at the park I found what I thought was a mosquito bite on him. I became alarmed when it got bigger every day. The aspirate was inconclusive and the size kept increasing. Surgery was done and the margins were all clean. The path report, however, showed invasion into the vascular system. It was all throughout his body before it showed any outward expression.
We believe Bear was an angel sent to us by God to experience life. We learned a lot from each other. We loved each other very much. His five short years were not enough. Keith and I are looking forward to the time when we can go to the rainbow bridge to see him again. In the meantime, he can trade stories about us with Abby, Tessa, Skye, Baron, Col. Cooper and Clancy.