Coco

Today in the Dog In The Desert household we are mourning the loss of an old friend, the chihuahua that started it all, Coco.

I have told the story before on this blog, about how I volunteered at a bully breed rescue to try to convince Ben that we need our next dog to be much bigger than Copley.  I never really loved small dogs and I thought being around the big guys would convince him to get one.  Instead Ben fell in love with a chihuahua named Coco.  She was the first chihuahua that I ever really got to know, and certainly the first one I ever gave a hoot about.  She had had a very hard life and it showed.  She came into rescue with a blind dachshund named Sausage, and I am pretty sure Coco and Sausage had spent their whole lives pumping out chiweenie puppies in less than ideal conditions.  We would visit the two at the place where the rescue boarded them, take them for walks and take them to adoption events.  It soon became clear that despite being with each other for so long the two really had no use for each other- and so Coco came home with us.  She was a grumpy little thing, but an easy foster dog all in all.  Coco was old (the estimate was about 15 years) and she was pretty set in her ways so I forgave the grumpiness.  Most importantly though Coco made me fall in love with the breed.  She showed me chis were smart, and funny, and that they make funny little chihuahua noises.  She taught us what a true lap dog was and that even after being treated like trash her whole life a chihuahua still wants nothing more than a person to snuggle up next to.  Since Coco left this house we have only gone a few months without a Chihuahua in it.  Once a chihuahua calls your house home it just feels empty without one.  I am forever grateful for that little girl showing up in my life and sending me down this path.

 Pretty soon after coming to us Coco found a forever home- and it really could not have been a better one.  She went to a home with true chihuahua lovers, and they spoiled her till her last days I am sure!  We were lucky that the adopters were people we saw from time to time, and I would get updates and pictures.  Coco sunning herself in the back yard, or cuddling on the couch.  After all those years of who knows what she finally got to be spoiled rotten like she should have been all along.  When I heard the news that Coco passed away I was sad- but also so filled with gratitude for her adopters.  Just knowing that she was able to be comfortable, and full and loved for the last two years was such a comfort to me.

A lot of people ask me how I am able to foster- fall in love with dogs then let them go- and Coco is the reason.  Coco was so hard to let go, but she went to such a great place.  And as important as that is it is just the icing on the cake really.  Because Coco was adopted we had the space to rescue lost of other dogs -

Pappoose

George

Luke

Of course our very own partners in crime Kerrigan and Nova-

& many others.

So thank you Coco for being you, and thank your forever family for giving you the life you deserved so that we could go on and help out other dogs who needed us.  I hope our home was a happy place for you and that now you understand why we had to let you go.

Rest in peace little lady- a lot of people will miss you.