Here’s to My Gluten Loving Pup

Ever since Friday morning I’ve been dropping food on the ground and it’s just stayed put. I did not realize this would make me so incredibly sad, but yet, there it is.

My pup ELI (pronounced like Ellie, because she’s a girl dog – it’s a mix up of letters L.I.E. as she was rescued on the Long Island Expressway) died on Friday morning after being very sick. We took her to the vet and found out her kidneys were not working so hot and she had a pretty huge mass of lung cancer. Poor girl couldn’t breathe.

While it does suck, oh so much, that dog has had a pretty great life. She’s a foodie (hahahaha, I just called a dog a foodie), like me, and enjoyed an incredible amount of treats. Oh sure, it was because she managed to knock over any trash can that wasn’t 50 lbs or heavier and she grabbed food off the streets of New York no matter how disgusting, and if you ever left your lunch out on the counter she could always find a way to sneak up and get it. Then came the kids. Toddlers make excellent targets as they wobble around holding snacks, and they are no match for a sneaky cocker spaniel looking for a mini bagel. Before they even knew it, that little hand was empty and that dog was full. She was also very, very, patient.

Unlike me, ELI had an iron stomach. Here is just a short list of things she consumed and managed to live to tell the tale:

Multiple chicken bones
And multiple chicken wing bones as well (why these are so plentiful on Brooklyn streets I’ll never know)
An entire lasagna
Two Whitman’s Samplers (one was a replacement for the first one lost to her craftiness)
Cough drops
Leftover breakfast foods on plates left too close to the edge of the sink
Antifreeze (that one almost DID do her in)
Chex Mix
Too many bags of dog treats to count
Dentyne Ice

Still, I did make that girl some gluten-free Texas-shaped dog treats because I loved her. Yes, it seemed like a ridiculous thing to do for a dog who has eaten so much chocolate and never had to go to the hospital (the antifreeze though, wow, was that an expensive hospital stay. Especially the second time she licked it off the Manhattan curb). This was a dog who was not picky.

I know plenty of PEOPLE who won’t even touch sushi.

I was lucky enough to have this sweet-tempered, foul-breathed, sometimes incontinent pup for over 12 years, and she was somewhere between 15 and 16 years old when she died. She lived a full, happy, bi-coastal life filled with all the joy scavenging food could bring a ravenous dog. I love you, ELI. I miss you. And I hope the streets in Dog Heaven are lined with easily toppled trash cans.

22 thoughts on “Here’s to My Gluten Loving Pup”

So sorry to hear about ELI; thanks for sharing…

I’m so sorry. Losing a fur child is hard.

It totally sucks when they’re gone and I know exactly what you’re saying about food dropping on the floor. Over the years, my dogs have really helped keep the kitchen floor free from scraps. Sorry for your loss and happy your pup had such a charmed life.

I’m so sorry for your loss.

I’ve always had pets, and I know how hard it is when we have to let them go. I’m sorry for your loss.

For me it was the sound of my cat’s nails clicking on the floor. The house sounded so quiet after she was gone. (and before you go judging me for never trimming my cat’s nails, let me just tell you she was a beast of satan with any grooming attempts and it was better for everyone to have her au-natural haha). Sorry you lost your fur baby 😦

Thanks everybody. ELI was a good dog. And my floors are so dirty.

Sorry for your loss. Now I’m crying. Pets are truly a blessing.

Sorry to here about your pup… Hugs coming your way. Glad she was able to be a foodie too. 🙂

Oh, I’m sorry about Eli. It’s so sad when a family pet dies.

I’m so sorry to hear this. We lost our beloved aby cat a few years ago (discovered kidney failure right when we returned from our honeymoon). He was just 7. Devastating. These babies are family. ELI is fortunate to have found you. She was loved and she knew it. I hope you find peace in that knowledge.

As a fellow dog lover, I can only say I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending you strength.

peveteaux says:

January 13, 2014 at 4:45 pm

Thanks G-dude.

Reply

My heart is with you. The loss of a furry family member is crushing. She had a wonderful life with her forever family, full of love; that is a true love story for all of you.

Awwwwwww….she sounds awesome!!!!!! Bless you and her!

Printing this to read to your mom when I go to PW today. She and I can laugh and cry together!

peveteaux says:

January 13, 2014 at 4:43 pm

Thank you so much, Jo! You are just the best.

Reply

We almost lost our 4 pound yorkie in December when our neighbor’s dog attacked him. The terror that went through my heart was so intense. He is only 6 1/2, but he has become part of our life and I tell him daily he has to live to be 60. I’ve lost other dogs in my life, and I know how painful it can be, so my heart goes out to you and your family as you deal with a new normal.

Thank you for all that you do, and share with us. ❤

Oh boy. How sad to lose your pup. She had a great life with you. Sad.

your dog sounds a lot like my dog Riley. Except mine will enjoys snacks of the gluten and gluten free variety (except vegetables she doesn’t like green things). But why does she have to eat my $6 gf bread?!?! lol. Anyway, sorry for your loss. Fur babies are like another member of the family!!