I've never cared too much for dogs. Especially when they bark; most notably neighborhood dogs when I'm trying to sleep. Dogs lick, poop on the carpet, chew your favorite tie, ransack the garbage, break through the fence that requires a search party. They hump your leg, beg for food at the dinner table, need to go potty at 3:00 am, and cost money for upkeep. So in retrospect, I usually don't like other people's dogs. Having a dog in our family still carried the same complications, but I found a place in my heart for her. Mocha was the cutest, most lovable dog I've ever known.
I had been dreading this day for years. I only thought about from it time to time, but always tried to predict how I would react when I heard the news. I got a message last night to call my sister, who lives in Wyoming. I didn't think much of it and decided to get back to her today. She didn't answer it the first time, assuming I was a bill collector. I knew better to call back and she answered the second time. We engaged in small talk for a while and then she lowered her voice to a mournful tone. "I have some bad news", she said. I knew right away what happened, before she even said it. We had lost another member of our family. Our beloved dog, Mocha, passed away a few days ago. Jessica didnt'have the heart to tell me right away, because she was taking it pretty hard. Apparently Mocha died of heart failure and Jessica's fianc� found her laying in a ditch. He knelt down and shook Mocha. No response. He cried as he carried her to the truck and drove her home. I didn't know what to say to her, but I didn't want her to know that I was crying while she spoke to me. So I kept quiet and then told her I had to go. I sobbed for a while looked at old pictures of Mocha. I can't believe I'm crying over an animal, but that dog meant a lot to me.
Mocha was a Chinese Shar-Pei. This breed of dog typically only lives 7-10 years. Mocha was 9 when she died. Our parents bought her in Colorado Springs for $1,500 when she was a puppy. She was well-mannered, cuddly, and made our family happy. Mocha was such a sweetheart and I will miss her very much.
October 6, 1994- October 18, 2003
