Our Star Boo Boo

Our Star Boo Boo(Kathy Munie) March 13, 201O
Our Star Boo Boo


Saturday afternoons are often spent running errands, Home Depot, Walmart and a quick stop at the pet store to buy dog food. As Jim went into the store, I stayed outside to visit with some of the dogs a local rescue group had available for adoption. One beauty caught my eye. He was a huge dog, with a big square face and soft brown eyes watching me out the back window of a car. I asked for permission to pet him then rubbed his ears and his nose and asked about his breed. I was told that he was a Great Pyrenees. I went inside to tell Jim about the beautiful dog but by the time we checked out and left the store he was gone. I was told that he was in the car because his new family had just picked him up and he was heading to his forever home.

Fast forward about three months. Jim came home one day and asked what kind of dog I saw that day at the store that afternoon, the one I liked so much. When I told him, he commented that he had seen one that day and how beautiful and gentle the animal was. Little did I know I was about to get the surprise of my life. Late that night after everyone else went to bed, Jim surfed the internet searching for my Pyre-fect Christmas gift. He found Great Pyrenees Rescue of Central Illinois, the closest rescue group to St. Louis, and contacted their founder, Cyndi, and made arrangements for us to meet our new family member. The adoption contract and home visit were a breeze since we are already animal lovers and rescuers ourselves, so the weekend before Christmas we loaded up the truck and headed to Bloomington.

First, I will say that Cyndi’s farm was absolutely amazing. She had a barn that was rehabbed for the dogs and they all had their own little stalls. When she brought Casey out to meet us it was love at first sight for us all. Casey was an 18 month old male that was voluntarily surrendered because his owners didn’t know he’d get so big. I’m not quite sure they understood the “Great” part of “Great Pyrenees”. They didn’t have a fenced yard and kept him chained to a tree. They got upset when their grandchildren wandered into the yard and he tried to jump on them. Well, no more chains or trees for this big guy. He was coming home with us.

For anyone who is not familiar with the Great Pyrenees, it is a beautiful large white dog, bred in the pyrenees mountains to guard sheep. Usually a full grown (three year old) pyre will weigh in at anywhere from 80 to 150 lbs. They are fierce guardians of their sheep and live in harmony with with their flock. It’s said that a pyre will fight to the death to protect its flock. In our case, we became Casey’s flock.

Now pyres take a little longer to adjust to their new surroundings and we thought we had done enough research to know what to expect. We understood before turning in for the night, Casey had to count heads making sure everyone was in bed. Only when he was sure we were all safely tucked in would he would curl up on his bed to go to sleep. Three turns before settling down.

One thing that none of the books prepared us for was that it is NOT unusual for a home that has recently adopted a pyre to suddenly be visited by aliens every night around 1:00 am. The aliens cause quite a bit of commotion, usually requiring the pyre to have to go outside and bark to scare them away. After double checking the yard several times, the pyre can then come back inside and go back to sleep, but not before counting his people again. It’s not unusual for the aliens to return several times a night just to make sure the pyre is on his toes. His job as a guardian is never done.

Casey made friends everywhere he went whether it was a trip to the pet store or even a walk around the neighborhood. Everyone loved our gentle giant. He learned to give a “big” hug (standing on 2 legs with front paws resting on person’s shoulders). A big hug was usually reserved for dad and when giving dad a “big” hug they stood shoulder to shoulder, head to head. A “baby” hug was for mom. He actually sat on his haunches and put up both front legs to hug.

Because of their size Great Pyrenees do not have an incredibly long life span. It seemed like Casey grew old before we knew it. His eyesight was the first to go and he no longer hears us come home. He spends most of his days sleeping on his big bed, getting up to eat and visiting the yard a few times a day. One Friday night he went outside around midnight and laid in the yard for a long time. When he came in he fell up the basement steps and cried out. Jim got up and carried him up the stairs and laid him on his bed. He now weighed only about 80 lbs. We both knew what we had to do but we spent the rest of the sleepless night reminiscing about the 150 lb. puppy we brought home 11 years earlier. The fun we had, the silly things he did and the love he brought to our family.

On Saturday morning we woke Matthew to tell Casey good bye then headed to the vets office. She was ready for us, we were her last clients of the day, and after getting him ready, Jim and I went to say our good byes. We sat on the floor with him. I held his big head in my lap and kissed his nose. I wanted him to know that I was with him till the end. I whispered to him that it was okay to leave us now, we would be okay. He could go chase bunnies and bark at aliens in Heaven. They needed him now. Jim held Casey in his lap and told him what a good boy he was as she gave him the injection. I whispered how much I loved him as I felt his last breath on my face. He didn’t fight. He was ready to go. It was a quiet ride home and an even quieter house when we got there. The big bed lay empty in our room. The girls seemed confused by his disappearance. Our friends sent condolences. And after two weeks the house still seems empty.

Our beautiful Casey came home last week in a small box which now rests on our mantle. He will forever be in our hearts.


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