copper top

last tuesday morning, 6/15, i woke up and realized our sweet dog, copper, wasn't home. he is master houdini and is always out roaming the neighborhood, so while it wasn't completely out of the ordinary, i was a bit worried. when i got home at 11:45 from the grocery store and he still wasn't home, i knew something was wrong. we put up signs that afternoon, chase rode around all wednesday afternoon calling for him and looking for him. we put more signs up wednesday night and thursday morning chase got a call that we didn't want to get. i don't even know how to type the words, so i'm not going to. it was like a losing a family member. we got him about a month after we got married and he was our first "child". i've been putting off this post, but i know i will want to have something to look back on. so here's a letter to my sweet boy, in hopes of bringing some closure.

sweet copper,
thank you for 3.5 wonderful years. you were the best dog a family could ask for. i remember when my mom called and asked if i wanted a dog because you had showed up at a friend of her's house. my first response was "no!" but she talked about how sweet you were, that you were house trained (big selling point) and you needed a home. she said you were a hound and i just had to name you copper, because i love in "fox and the hound" where the dog says "my name's copper and i'm a hound dog!"
we had to wait several weeks for you, because you had been to the haven and had to get fixed before you could come home. granddad picked you up for us and brought you home because chase had to work that night. i remember when i got you in the house and it was just me and you. you sat in front of the fire place and i sat on the couch and we looked at each other like "well now what am i going to do with you?" but it didn't take long for you to nuzzle your way into my heart and become a part of the family.
you were the first one who knew i was pregnant with caedmon. when i saw those 2 pink lines, i grabbed you, hugged you, and took you on a walk in the fresh spring air. then i called chase. when caedmon came along, you were amazing. you were like a big brother, always watching out for him, letting me know if he needed something. if he was crying in his room and i wasn't running that way, you would pace up and down the hall wimpering for me to come see what he needed.
when caedmon was about 8 months old and moving around well, i left you two in the living room to go get something out of my bedroom. i heard the faintest wimper coming from the living room so i ran down the hall. caedmon had climbed on your back like you were a horse. when you saw me, you ever so gently rose up on your front legs, sliding him down onto the floor. it was the sweetest thing. you didn't want him on your back, but there was no way you were dumping him off without me seeing what happened.
you weren't perfect by any means, but you were beyond perfect for us. you were stubborn and hard headed. but you fit right in. you listened better than caedmon most days. when we would leave, we always asked "cop, you wanna go out back or in your kennel?" and you always made your choice, mostly the kennel on hot and cold days and out back during the mild weather. most of the time if you saw us getting ready to go, you just headed straight to your kennel.
everyone around knew you and loved you. at our first house, the neighbors would let you in their house to hang out all the time. if we couldn't find you, you were usually hanging out inside someone's house.
you will be missed sweet boy. you weren't a pet or a friend, you were a member of the family and you will be missed as such. i'm so thankful we had you, even if it was for a much shorter time than i imagined.
we love you cop cop.