In 3 weeks he would have been 14. By the old multiples of 7 trick he would have been 98, in human years. There’s a chart put out by the American Kennel Club that gives a more “accurate” assessment of a dog’s age by their weight type. It says 88. Moxie almost made it to 90, or 100 if your old school.
He was the oldest dog at the Golden Palooza in September. That was so much fun. Literally hundreds of golden retrievers running around, chasing balls, shaking hands, smiling that golden smile. Moxie loved it. He fit right in with his brethren and sistren, and that white face made him popular with the humans. He loved that, too. He loved people.
These pictures were taken just a couple of days before he left us, by Mrs C. They depict a dog contemplating his final days and a dog’s brother lovingly showing support. That’s Ludo, whom you all know well, next to Moxie. Ludo’s taken it kinda hard. The last couple of days he went from occasionally looking around or sitting by the back deck waiting to just laying down at times and staring at Moxie’s favorite place in front of the fire. That’s where we would feed him twice a day. Moxie’s favorite pastime was eating. Ludo knows that.
This is the last pic I took of him, about a month earlier. He looked so vibrant then, and it seemed for all the world that we’d have him a couple of more years. We figured he’d break the all-time Golden Palooza record of 16 down the road. We hoped he would. He was such a joy. His smile, so contagious.
Where he’s standing in that picture says a lot, too. His treat bowls are up on that counter.
Moxie, our Roo, passed away on November 29th, 2022. We were right by his side as he took his last breath. It happened surprisingly fast in the end. He was ready. We were not. He meant everything to us, and the house is just plain emptier without him.
We appreciate your thoughts. That was one tough November.
Below is my homage to the “best boy ever.” Please enjoy. I rarely wish I could restart a clock, do it all over again. I wish I could do that now. I wouldn’t change a thing, but I’d enjoy every single second with Moxie again.
Thank you, and blessings to you all. Hug your pets. Hug them lots.
Tom Being Tom 
There are no words to say to make your pain less, I am sorry. Hopefully all of the memories you have with him will help at least a little.
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Quite a lot. Would not trade a second of his life to ease any amount of the pain of loss. ❤️
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“What’s a heart good for if it’s not for breaking?”
I suspect you could have stuffed a nice pillow from all the fur lost over the years.
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Probably could have carpeted a mansion. 😉 ❤️
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Oh dear brother Tom, there are no words. I’m so sorry that you lost your bestest boy ever. Sending love and hugs to you, the Mrs and of course to the little bro that will undoubtedly miss Moxie more that he will show 🥺😥.
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Thank you so much, my sister! It’s been a tough couple of weeks since, for all of us, but the kindness and love like this has helped. We appreciate you! ❤️
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Every animal lover knows exactly what you’re going through. We give them our hearts and lose a little piece of it when they’re gone. He was a beautiful boy. Well loved and given a wonderful life. It’s all any of us can ask for.
💕
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So true. I always procure a canine partner knowing that I will outlive my friend; but it never gets any easier. ❤️
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And it never will.
hugs
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I’ve been there and I know how incredibly hard it is. I’m crying reading this and offer you all the love and support one dog lover can offer another❤️
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Thank you so much, Suzanne. One day at a time right now. ❤️
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❤️
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Tom, I’m so very, very sorry. I regularly tell our dogs that the one thing all dogs have to do to be good dogs is to love their family, and I can tell Moxie was a very, very, very good dog.
There’s no easy way to get over this loss, and we both know that in some way you don’t want to get over it–Moxie will always be with you, will always be a part of you. But, having been through this, I know one thing that’s helped me is sharing the experience with those who also know what it’s like.
Thank you for sharing Moxie and this loss with us. I hope it helps.
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Chistopher, thank you, man. You know how hard this has been, and I really appreciate your sentiment. He was amazing, and the house feels so empty without him (despite there being two other goldens wandering about!). It did help, to share. And it helps – a lot – to get these kind expressions in return. Thank you again, brother!
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😭
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