The Story of Paco

My owner had been very sad three weeks before, when her beloved Yorkie named Paco died. Paco was only seven. She had treated him with some fancy moist dog food in a pouch, and only later discovered that it had poisonous ingredients from China that killed him.

Her family had just moved to a new house ten weeks before Paco died. When Paco lost weight, Felicia thought it was because of all the long walks they were taking through the new neighborhood. Then one day, Paco threw up, and she thought he had the flu. But by the third day, she brought him to the hospital, where tests showed he had kidney problems. He stayed in the hospital for five days. Felicia told the vet to do anything to save Paco, even if he only lived one more year, one more month. She realized that she had taken Paco for granted and never thought he would die so young, and when he was gravely ill, she realized what a wonderful dog he had been and how much he meant to her and her family. But by the day after Christmas, the vet told Felicia that Paco was not going to get better, and he was miserable. Humane euthanasia was the best solution. Here he is, above, on Christmas Eve.

Paco died in their arms the day after Christmas.

They buried him in the back yard and every morning, my owner and her family looked out the window at the bump under the pine tree and said, "Hi Paco! We love you, Paco!"

They missed him very much.