My sister just called me and told me that our Rottie boy just passed away. I'm at work and I just want to bawl. My mom is going to be a wreck.
We got Taz in 1996 when he was about 2 years old from the local pound, for a whopping $5.00. I was in high school at the time. He was the best $5 we ever spent. He had definitely overstayed his welcome at the pound, but fortunately, the ACO had a soft spot for Rotties, and kept him until he found a home. At first he showed signs of some abuse, he was afraid of the telephone, the broom, very large men, etc. But his sweetness and awesome personality overcame all that. He became a fantastic ambassador for the Rottweiler breed, as many people who came over our house nicknamed him the "Wal-Mart" greeter- he would always put up his paw to shake hands and want to greet people with the utmost friendliness. This dog was especially in love with my mother, whom he saw as the pack leader.
A few months ago at the age of approximately 13 he was found to have a tumor in his chest that was inoperable and untreatable, especially due to his age. This did give us (especially my mother) time to make the most of our time with him and spoil him to no end.
We will miss him dearly.
Rest in peace sweet boy, and thanks for all the unconditional love you showed us.