Yes sad not happy…depressing might even be more fitting. I work up this morning to messages from my mom and brother telling me that they were putting our family dog Gizmo down. I knew it was coming and really should have been done sooner but that doesn’t take away any of the pain or emptiness. Some may say oh its only a dog get over it, but Gizmo has been the only dog that I can truly remember and that I grew up with. This is my tribute to her.

Gizmo’s story begins back in the summer of 91 when my parent promised me and my brother that if we made straight A’s that they would get us a dog. We worked for it and that summer we went to the pound in Knoxville (where we were living at the time) and found us a mutt puppy, a lab/chow mix and brought her home. Being 7 and having a cute little pup was awesome and I can even remember putting the leash on her and attaching the other end to my ankle and letting her drag me around the yard…I love that dog.

Before we get to the move from Knoxville to Franklin let me back track and explain her name. Gizmo was not just some name that we randomly came up with and said hey your Gizmo and that’s how it’s gonna be. For those who have seen the movie “Gremlins” which came out around the same time we got our pup, the main furry creature (A mogwai) was named Gizmo and one of his distinctive features was that he had one ear that flopped over and one that stood straight up, as did our new puppy. And thus, the naming of Gizmo.

Shortly after getting Gizmo my father got a job promotion and we packed up and moved to Franklin, TN from Knoxville. I remember the ride because we had gotten a small dose of tranquilizer from the vet (in pill form) for Gizmo because my parent feared how she would handle 4 hours in the car. When we got settled into our new house it was decided that Gizmo would become an outside dog since the house we had moved into had an invisible fence. My brother and I were bummed because in Knoxville she was an indoor dog. Little did my parents know of the poor quality of the invisible fence as well as the troubles of maintaining it as my father year after year punctured the line while arrogating the lawn. But Gizmo remained an outside dog.

Gizmo had just about become the neighborhood dog always following us over to friends on bike rides…wandering to neighbors houses who gladly fed the happy dog. Everybody knew and loved Gizmo, but Gizmo liked to get out into the street and chase cars. One winter night while my brother and I were out playing in the snow we heard a ear piercing yelp and saw Gizmo limp into the yard as a car slammed on its brakes. My brother and I ran to check on her and we noticed a trail of blood as the gentleman in the truck began walking towards us. The man happened to be one of my friends uncles who we knew quite well from years of youth basketball and baseball. We ran inside in a panic to tell mom that Gizmo had been hit by a car and she rushed outside to asses the situation. It was about 930 or so at night so the vet was closed and it appeared that Gizmo had a broken leg. The man who hit her helped us put her in a carrier then we loaded her up into his truck, I hoped in and we headed to Nashville for a 24 hour animal hospital. Gizmo would be fine, she did in fact have a broken front leg and would have to wear a cast for the next six weeks. We had lucked out.

It was funny though because that winter it seemed like we had gotten a lot of snow so every time she went out to go to the bath room we would have to secure a Kroger bag to her cast with rubber bands so she could roam around the yard for a little while. There is also a picture of me and here laying on the living room floor; both sound a sleep with a blanket over both of us and her leg, still in the Kroger bag sticking out.

Gizmo was always around and lived may years beyond that with out too many more serious injuries. She had gotten into a dog fight and had a chunk taken out of her side that was patched and quickly healed, but nothing ever too serious. Since college began she has been on the back nine slowly finishing the course…following one of us on a walk…usually my dad, then after reaching the back of the neighborhood, sitting down unable to make the return home. Only to be carried for one or two miles home. In the last few years she went deaf, blind and arthritis set in as her hips began to dwindle and deteriorate and shrink, and the last few weeks she had struggled to stand on her own. The pain had become too great for us to not do the humane thing. This morning she was put to sleep and buried on a friend’s farm with her collar, a tennis ball, treats, and a family photo. She was a great dog and will be missed. No longer will she be the first one to greet me in the drive way when I go home. No longer will we open the back door and have her come running to see us. She is better off now and I know it, but it does hurt and she will be missed. I love you Gizzy, and I will never forget you!