Cooper

How do you sum up a life that changed yours? There are no words to describe what you truly meant to me. You were a surprise addition to the family and it ended up being the best surprise ever. We couldn’t pick a name so we decided to make your name all of them- Sargent Cooper Cornelius Longbottom. We lovingly referred to you as Cooper, because it was easier (and mom’s pick haha). We had many nicknames for you; Big Boy, Handsome Boy, Sweet Boy, Coop, Coopy, Poopers, or my personal favorite my “Sweet Baby Boy.” At 4:10pm you took a piece of my heart with you when you took your last breath. You had fought some tough health issues, including cancer and lymes disease, but acute kidney disease was a big battle. That Friday afternoon I got a call that you went outside and collapsed and had trouble getting back up. When I got to you, you were inside laying down in the kitchen hallway (one of his usual spots) and of course got up to greet me when you saw me. You never showed your pain and I was so hopeful this was just a bad episode. When we were at the vet and got your blood work back, it was bad news. Your kidney disease had progressed toward end stage and you were struggling. After discussing with your vet the best option, we all decided you had fought hard and long enough and deserved to rest. Although I knew we were on borrowed time, I was not expecting having to make that decision that day, but it was the most compassionate thing we could do for you. I thought we would get a few more good months out of you and it was a hard reality to take in that after 12 years, 1 month and 15 days the time had come to say goodbye. I know we were blessed to have you that long, but I was not ready to let you go and never will be. From 8 weeks old to 12 years old you have provided unconditional love, loyalty and laughter. I will remember you when I see the birds and squirrels and how you would launch out the door to chase them, and when the season changes I will remember how you would shed more and have little tufts of fur we would pull out for you and laugh how we could create another Shepherd from your shedded fur, and seeing plush squeaky toys will remind me how you loved to carry them around and squeak them and eventually lay in your bed holding them in your mouth still trying to squeak them while falling asleep, and when we pull out the vacuum cleaner, your nemesis, we will laugh because you would try to nip at it and the hose attachment, and of course your most favorite toy, the tennis ball, when I see one I will remember how you could have spent hours playing fetch with it. Anything became obsolete when the tennis ball was around. You were such a beautiful boy, the perfect representation of a German Shepherd. You were smart as a whip picking up on all your basic commands and learning “drop” and “gentle.” I could go on and on about you, but these words don’t do justice to what you meant to me. We miss you so much, but know you are with us in spirit, watching over Stella (his 15 year old Shih Tzu mix sister) and us. You are the loss of my life and I will always love you. I am comforted in knowing I will one day be reunited with you. Until then my sweet boy ❤️