Charlie Brown
Parent: Veronica Villarreal
Rescue Org: Austin Pets Alive!
Age: 13
Breed: Lab/Retriever Mix

298 days. That was how long my sweet Charlie Brown was in my life, making each day a little brighter than the last. Charlie was my very first foster from Austin Pets Alive! When I met Charlie Brown, I was told a few things about him. I was told he was deaf, likely had a bladder cancer diagnosis, had displayed signs of aggression in his previous homes, and had at one point been scheduled for euthanasia. All made me go YIKES!!! But Charlie and I looked at each other and said, "Let’s give this a try."

Because he was deaf, Charlie insisted on keeping his human within eyeshot as much as possible, so the first month or so, when we slept, I would hear him getting up over and over again throughout the night. “Please don’t try and eat me in my sleep Charlie,” I would joke. But he was just looking in on me to make sure I was still there. And that was all Charlie ever wanted: to make sure someone was still there for him. From day one I told Charlie, “Three days, three weeks, three months, three years—however long you need me, you got me.” After a while, I realized I could not make Charlie, still a foster, adjust to another new home at his age. I couldn't imagine him feeling like he had to start searching for his human in the middle of the night all over again. So, after seven months of loving him as a foster, I adopted him. During whatever time he had left, he would always know his human was there.

My dear sweet Charlie Brown passed away on June 20, 2019, 298 days after I first brought him home and a few short months after I formally adopted him. On that day, I was there holding him and comforting him until the very end. Charlie came to me a rescue, and everyone always gave me credit for rescuing him, when really there were a lot of kind, hardworking, dedicated people who came before me to do the really hard work. They saw a senior dog with health and behavioral issues and recognized that he still had love to give.

Thanks to the great folks at Austin Pets Alive!, Charlie had 298 days where he didn’t have to worry about anything. Over those 298 days, he probably had 298 lipstick kiss marks on the top of his head and 1,000 or more of the walks he loved so much. He had 298 days of following me around to every room in our home, 298 days of lying at my feet, 298 days of constant belly rubs, and 298 nights in a warm, comfy bed. He had countless weekends at the park, multiple road trips, at least 100 of his favorite car rides, all the treats and toys he wanted, and most importantly, infinite love. In 298 days of my life, Charlie gave me all of his love.

Dogs die, but more importantly, they live! They live brave, beautiful lives, protecting us, loving us, and making our lives a little brighter. Charlie was such a good boy; he loved me, and I loved him. But Charlie Brown was a senior dog, and seniors often get overlooked because people are afraid of the very pain I feel from losing him so soon. But my wish is that more people would consider seniors. Don’t get me wrong, my heart is broken in 1,000 pieces, but Charlie gave me more love in those 298 days than I could measure, making it all worth it. Seniors have the simplest of needs: love. If you can rescue a dog, especially a senior, please do, so more dogs like Charlie Brown can enjoy 298 (or more) good days of giving love and being loved.