Ben

Did I ever mention that I lived at home briefly as an adult?  When I was 32, I moved from New York back to Los Angeles and lived with my mother.  My plan was to save enough to buy a place of my own, but instead I met Ted and about 8 months later, we moved in together.  Living at home also meant that my pets were living there too.  My mom became very attached to Jakey and when we left, she decided she needed a Goldendoodle too.  Mom got Ben on sale just a few months later.  The gold pups went like hotcakes but the black goldendoodle was $500 off.

 This was the first night I met Benny

I liked to joke that Ben was my nemesis.  He was very excited and jumpy whenever we'd come over.  He also liked to get right in my babies faces.  Tremendously excited for a while until he'd calm down - then he was a cuddler.  Goldendoodles are VERY cuddly.

The last few times I've been over there, Ben has been REALLY mellow.  SO unlike himself.  My mom has been pushing her vet to figure out what is going on.  A few days ago, she took him to our animal acupuncturist veterinarian, who took a biopsy.  Mom called me in tears last night to tell me that Ben had lymphoma.  She sounded incredibly distraught.  My mom adores her dogs.  She has 4.  Big ones.

My mom with her dogs

She asked for the name of the vet who did Jake's radiation and I texted it over to her.  I hung up feeling worried.  A few hours later, Ben died.  Without warning really.  One minute she was trying to feed him under the table, the next minute, he was gone.

My mom LOVED Ben!  Two years ago, she lost her dog Stella - a sassy, athletic standard poodle.  All of this on the heels of losing her only grandchild (which obviously is in a completely different category) - but, it's just too much.  These years have been tough.

Despite his former nemesis status, I will miss Ben.  I will mostly miss my mom's babying him.  He could do no wrong in her eyes - whether he was dragging little cousins around the house by the arm with his teeth, or sniffing the neighbors crotch - he was a perfect angel in her eyes.

Ben - 2007 - 2013