In January of 1993 we drove to Pocahontas, AR to a relatives farm to pick a puppy out of a litter of seven that one of their dogs had in November of the previous year. They were all mutts, with barely any clue as to what mix of breeds they had in them....some Lab, some Chow-Chow, was the best guess we could make.
The cutest among them was a little fuzzball that looked like an ewok, which was what our cousins were originally calling him. I said back then, "He going to grow up bigger than some cute little ewok. We'd be better off naming him Chewbacca."
And so we did.
For sixteen years that wonderful mutt was a part of our family. He knew me as "Bubba". Whenever anyone told him to "Go to Bubba", I'm the one he'd run to.
Sixteen years of love, laughs, playing, fighting, yelling....all the experiences of family.
Sixteen years of coming home everyday with him to greet me at the door, and always excited to see me.
But not anymore.....
A little more than a year ago Chewy (as we called him) started slowing down, eating less, acting sadder and sadder. His arthritis was getting too much for him to handle. And just before Thanksgiving, things started gettting worse for him. He could no longer get up without help. Could no longer control his bowel and urinary movements. He was in a constant state of pain!
Yesterday, we made the decision that it was time to end his pain.
At 9:30 am today, we took him to the veterinarian, the same one we'd been taking him to since he was a puppy to have him euthanized.. I held him as the vet gave him the injection...I wanted him to know Bubba was there with him and that I loved him. I held him until his final breath left him.
He's gone now. Who will be there to greet me at the door when I come home now? I almost expected him to be there when I came home an hour ago.

I love you and I miss you Chewbacca, and I'm sorry, but I did'nt want to see you hurt anymore!