Benny

Benny Bear

Bear-Bear

Bear-Bears

The Bear

Benjamin McBears

You’ve had seventeen great years. It’s more than we ever expected. Rob gave you a great life when he rescued you in ’97. But you gave us so much more…

When I first met you, you had already traveled the country! You lived in Michigan, Pensacola and Seattle, following Rob to each destination before settling in Minnesota. You often traveled on your daddy’s lap.

I like to think that you and I took to each other immediately. But truthfully, you were a people dog and would wag your tail when anyone came to the door. Your permanent puppy dog eyes melted everyone’s hearts.

Even then, you didn’t play with toys much. You “hid” bones in the hallway or inside Rob’s shoes. But you did have one “Bear” of your own {aka Busy Bee} that if we squeaked it, you thought we were hurting it! So you’d take “The Bear” between your paws and give it so many kisses. We washed that Bear so many times. Later, you’d tear the stuffing out each time Rob stuffed it back in.

You gave us hugs and kisses whenever we asked and you pawed us if you wanted more pets. You’d lie “in the trenches” on the bed. Not long after meeting you, you inspired me to rescue my own dog.

And while you and Sophie were never best buds, you’d never know it from these photos:

When we all moved in together to become one family, the two of you eventually came to depend on each other. I truly believe she helped keep you young. But you taught her so much, too…

Like how to beg from Grandma!

Your true love was the lake. On our yearly trip to Michigan, you could smell the water a mile away before we even arrived. You’d pace in the car and we’d open a window and say, “Ohhhhh… Where are we?!”

I truly believe you were happiest at the lake. In the morning, you’d wake up and race out to the dock and onto the pontoon as if to say, “Can we go now?! Can we go now?!” Sometimes you even sat in the driver’s seat. You were READY.

You just couldn’t wait to go fishing!

And while we always said that you loved to fish, we know you probably just loved to bark at and chase that bobber. You’ve even fallen in a couple of times because of it!

When we were on shore, Rob would take the hook off the line and let you chase the bobber while swimming. You could spend hours just wading back and forth in the water.

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It was you who taught Sophie to love the lake, too! I don’t think she would have been a water dog if you hadn’t shown her the way.

You loved to sit under tables and sleep partway under the bed. You even liked being under the tree at Christmastime.

When I’d wake up in the morning, sometimes I’d see just your two back paws sticking out from under the bed. I liked to call you the “Wicked Bear of the West.” You didn’t mind. 😉 You didn’t even mind when I sang to you, “He’s a good Bear, he loves his Mama,” completely off key.

And, oh boy, did you love THE WHITE BOX. When white boxes came in the door, you didn’t even want to go outside to relieve yourself. You knew that a white box meant a chance at Daddy’s leftovers. And don’t even think about leaving leftover pizza on the counter. You’d lay on the floor in the kitchen and guard it all night.

Your sniffer was in top-top shape right up until the very end.

But you hated getting your photo taken. Getting a shot of you without you looking away was difficult. But once you and Sophie started receiving your Barkbox and I started photographing food for the blog, you photo bombed me all the time!

You even snuck some treats from a Dog Lover’s Box. I didn’t have the heart to stop you when you were trying so hard with those mittens of yours!

And, most recently, we found and rescued Sharmrock because he reminded us of you. There is a lot of resemblance there. Just look:

Benny, your memory will live on, but you will be missed. You were such a great part of our lives and there’s an emptiness there that is hard to swallow. I’m oh so glad that Rob rescued you on that fateful day that was meant to be your last. Rest in Peace, dear Benny. I’ll love you always and you’ll be forever in my heart.

Love,

Your Momma.