FINALLY, IT'S TIME TO LET GO

Here's the only pic of me and my Shih Tzu, King.

This blog has been in my drafts for 3 months now. I can't seem to finish it because I would always feel the loneliness and the tears that are trying to fall from my eyes.

And finally, I know that it's time.

Let me tell you all about King.

King is actually a forgotten dog. His life is much like Norma Desmond's of the musical, "Sunset Boulevard".

King used to be a champion in dog shows. He won numerous awards such as best in show, best groomed dog, etc. All of these are hearsay. I've never actually seen any proof such as plaques or certificates because King has transferred to different homes and had a number of owners. The first owner may have never cared to pass his awards on.

I met King in 2006 in a production called Hamlet. Our production manager is the owner of this lovely dog. He barely moves, and would only wag his tail whenever his name is called. I found him so cute that I would always want him to be with me when ever his owner would bring him to UP. He's in the Lights room with me, where I man the lighting board during shows. He would keep me entertained if I don't have any cues.

One day, the owner and I had a chat. He said that he's having a hard time taking care of King because he's living alone, and he's always away due to work and school.

I offered to take care of King. And he said that he'd love to, and he promised that he'll take him back after Christmas.

King stayed in our home for 2 months. Before, he would always sit under the dining table, and would wag his tail whenever he's called for his meal. He behaved like that for a week, and started loosening up during the second week.

I'm the only one who can make him come whenever he's called. King liked chicken meat so much that I would even buy him Chicken nuggets from McDonald's' before I go home. I make it a point that I would drop by McDonald's so I could give him a treat, no matter how tired I am from the performances. Maybe I was just excited at the thought that there's something worth looking forward to at home. It's like I had a baby!

Christmas time came, and the real owner had to take him away. It was a sad moment, but I had to let go because King is not mine.

But I do believe that if someone or something is yours, then it'll be returned or it will come back to you, no matter what happens.

The owner contacted me after a month and told me that he's planning to get rid of King. He's planning to get a bigger dog because Shih Tzus are high maintenance dogs. And his busy schedule won't allow him to pay a dog salon a visit. And he's also complaining about how costly King's maintenance is. From grooming to vet check- ups. And besides, King's not eating well ever since he was back in his place, according to him. So he thought that the poor dog's just counting his days. I was kinda' surprised with his statement, because when King was in our home, he would jump up and down whenever he would see me carrying his shiny, silver food bowl, filled with rice and chicken meat. So I kinda' suspected that the dog's not sick or dying. He's just not liking the loneliness, that's why he's not eating well, and is showing signs of depression.

I was so horrified at the thought that the owner's planning to get rid of King through Euthanasia. Yep. You read it right. MERCY KILLING. BENEVOLENT DEATH. Whatever nice term you give it, it's still killing. And I solely condemn it. If you can't take care of a dog, then you should have envisioned your condition in the first place. Mercy Killing is not the answer. And how can you kill such a gentle creature???

And without thinking twice, I offered to buy King for 5k. And he was sold to me.

When King was brought back to our house, he was jumping up and down, licking my feet, jumping on my brother, mother, and the maids, and he would bark like crazy. He was so happy because he's finally in a real home. He would always be with us in The Fort High Street, Powerplant mall, etc. He would always get monthly check- ups and grooming. And he was always fed with his favorite food: Chicken! And he's also a great watch dog. He would bark non- stop whenever he hears the sounds of our cars in the garage. He's actually waking up our maid so the maid will open the door for us.

One significant thing that King did was, he barked non- stop until we are awake. Mom woke me up at around 3am and told me to check why King is barking for around 30 minutes already. And when I went downstairs, I saw my Lola, lying on the floor, unconscious. She tripped from the table. When King saw me coming down from the stairs, King started jumping up and down, and going to and fro to me and Lola. King saved our Lola's life.

King was 6 years old when he arrived in our home. And he spent his happy days in his real home for the last 4 years of his life. He just wilted like a flower. We were suspecting that he died of old age.

King died on Dec.25, 2009, at exactly 12 a.m. A week before that, he was already showing signs of deterioration. He would only eat once in a day. And sometimes, he wouldn't eat anything. He would always drink water, and it came to a point that we had to make him drink water through a feeding bottle.

What sucks is, he died on one of my most favorite occasions of the year. At around 11 pm, he approached mom, my brother, my lola, the two maids, and finally, me. Each person he approached gave him a nice pat on the head. And his final approach is just his gentle way of saying goodbye and thank you.

I cried the day after he died. The sadness finally sinked in. I lost a very special pet. And every time I would see Shih Tzus in gray-white-black color combinations, I would be teary- eyed or sad. I just miss him terribly.

And while I'm writing this, I remember that sometime last month, a Shih Tzu in a gray-white-black color combination approached me and licked my feet and started jumping on me.

And when I asked for the name of the dog, the dog's name is Prince. A 4- month old male Shih Tzu.

Wherever my King is, I know he's happy, eating a lot of Chicken Meat, swimming in a bucket of Chicken Nuggets, and running, playing and barking with the other Shih Tzus and dogs in Doggie Heaven.

I know he's having a great time there. And I'm very happy for him.

Now, it's finally time to let go. :)