Gone is the Last of the Old Guard

Brownjack (2001-June 14, 2014)

I couldn't cry anymore, even if I wanted to. I have long accepted the fact that Brownjack would sooner or later join Blackjack and Hersheys in Doggie Heaven, but not like this.

Brownjack is your typical Askal - medium built, straight ears, thick light brown fur, a curly tail, and alert eyes. Together with Blackjack, he stood guard over our property for 13 years. While Blackjack was playful and always wanted to get my attention, Brownjack would rather stay on the background.  Blackjack loved pan-de-sal and sweets (like Hersheys), Brownjack preferred to eat rice, meat or fish. Blackjack somehow managed to stay free of fleas. Brownjack was a flea magnet.

A lot of people had bad intentions for Brownjack. Because he was chubby, several tambays on our neighborhood wanted to make him pulutan. There were several attempts to poison him, but to no avail. Brownjack would eat only the food we gave him - he ignore the food given by strangers. He would only eat the food on his plate. He refused to eat the food if it was served on another plate.

So it was a cause for worry when he refused to eat four days ago. But he still drank his water. A case of indigestion, I thought. But this Saturday morning I was already alarmed. Brownjack lay on his kennel, breathing laboriously and too weak to move. I gave him a dose of antibiotics (SMP) and forced fed him with dextrose. After about an hour Brownjack seemed to recover. His eyes regained its sparkle, and he managed to rise to his feet to drink water again.

I returned to his kennel at 3:00pm to find him dead - his body still warm. Cause of death? I don't know.

I called Obet (our neighbor who is quite famous as the community dog gravedigger) to once more dig another grave. Brownjack has finally joined Blackjack and Hersheys in Doggie Heaven.

Our yard now has two empty kennels. Our remaining dog Smarties A.K.A. Butotoy remains inside the house. I don't know if I will raise another dog - I still haven't gotten over the loss of Blackjack and Hersheys. Maybe in a few months. Maybe never.

Goodbye Brownjack. Like Blackjack and Hersheys, you made our lives bright. I will miss the hours spent bathing you (because I had to remove all your fleas), the nighttime strolls, the times I stroked your back and your head cuddling my lap, seeing you sit alert and running whenever I called your name.

This morning, Miami lost the NBA title to San Antonio - despite the presence of their Big Three. Our family has also lost its Big Three in a span of three months. But we fervently believe that with each loss comes a greater gain.

Goodbye Brownjack. We love you.