Good night my sweet girl

Good-bye to my writing companion

(Note: Pugsy was not a very athletic or sporty dog. But most of the stories you read on LVSportsBiz.com were written with Pugsy at my feet or underneath my writing table. Pugsy passed away this morning, and I posted this tribute on Facebook today and I wanted to share it with LVSportsBiz.com readers. We’ll return to regular LVSportsBiz.com coverage very soon.)

 

I said good-bye to Pugsy today. She lived so long that she lulled me into thinking she would live forever.

But that’s not how things work. It hurt the most when I realized I could not do anything more to help this beautiful creature who became part of my life’s daily rhythm.

In the end, Pugsy rested her head on my heart and she passed quickly, serenely and peacefully. It hurts because this 10-pound, four-legged furry Little Buddah wormed her way into my heart with her trustfulness, dignity, zen-like qualities and love for Merrick’s chicken pot pie.

But Pugsy was no longer living in a manner that was affirming for her. So, any pain and discomfort are now forever gone.

My friend Scott tells me the huge hole in my heart will get smaller over time and when I feel blue I reflect back on a dog that had one helluva 18-year run.

Pugsy was not an athletic dog. She wasn’t romping through brooks or negotiating rocky trails. Pugsy was a zenmaster who could have taught quite a few humans about respect and dignity.

Pugsy and I were pals for the second half of her life, and I will have to get used to writing without hearing her snoring or chicken pot pie munching sounds.

A shout out to Town Center Animal Hospital’s Dr. Pepper, who balanced treatment with compassion with the right words and tone. Good night my sweet girl.

 

Alan Snel

Alan Snel brings decades of sports-business reporting experience to LVSportsBiz.com. Snel covered the business side of sports for the South Florida (Fort Lauderdale) Sun-Sentinel, the Tampa Tribune and Las Vegas Review-Journal. As a city hall beat reporter, Snel also covered stadium deals in Denver and Seattle. In 2000, Snel launched a sport-business website for FoxSports.com called FoxSportsBiz.com. After reporting sports-business for the RJ, Snel wrote hard-hitting stories on the Raiders stadium for the Desert Companion magazine in Las Vegas and The Nevada Independent. Snel is also one of the top bicycle advocates in the country.