Ode to a Furry Friend (My Eulogy)

Lucy Belle Cartwright -
There are far too many nicknames I could use in place of your official name to even begin to list, so I guess I'll just keep things formal here.  You were that pet whose upbringing I actually remember every second of, from puppy to adult dog, because I went through that same journey along with you.  As you were learning new tricks to glean every possible scrap of food off each person at the dinner table, I was learning arithmetic.  Crazy to think that a dog's life reaches its end before a human's even fully begins.  I will always remember you as the sweet brown eyes that wake me up in the morning with your lovably disgusting fish breath.  I will remember you as the protective guard dog, always watching over us even though you were scarcely ten pounds.  You exemplified the saying, "It's not about the fight in the dog; it's about the dog in the fight" in that way, which was always admirable at your own small scale, but it did not go unrecognized.  You were the sweetest and yet most inconsiderate dog - stealing food from your brother at every possible opportunity.  I will never forget the moment I met you at the breeders house - you were the runt of the litter, but I guarantee you ate enough to make up for that over the course of your lifetime - and you scrambled right on up to me and curled up in my lap, fast asleep.  This, along with countless other memories, is how I choose to remember you, forever and always.  I love you.