R. and I had to say goodbye to our (really, her) chihuahua today. Odie was, affectionately, an asshole. Alternatingly grumpy, annoying, and demanding, he never missed a chance to scream his undying rage at the galaxy-level unfairness of his blanket not being just quite right.

Odie appeared at R.'s door in 2019, when he walked up and just started barking his fool head off. Eventually her daughter opened the door and Odie marched in and took up residence. After taking him to the vet and discovering that the owner linked to his chip was MIA, R. was informed that she could not just leave the little interloper at the vet and so Odie became a permanent member of the household. Though he already had hip dysplasia, a heart murmur, and a bad back, he persisted and like a tiny black hole warped life in the home arund him.

When I met R. 3 years ago, Odie was firmly ensconced as the prince-in-residence, ordering everyone around and screaming his fool head off when offended, which was often. But he loved R., and could sense when she was sick or needed comfort, and then would transform into a quiet lapdog for a brief time.

Over the last few years Odie got more sensitive, louder, and more cranky. He would scream when trying to burrow into his blankets (his favorite way to sleep/pass time), he become more picky about his food, and more hesitant to use the pet door in the back - standing outside and barking insistently until someone opened the grand entrance for his tiny-ness.

Over the last year Odie needed to be taken to the ER vet 4 times as his pain levels (which could never be explained) out-paced his response to the nerve pain meds he was on. His most recent visit was just a week ago, after he had started refusing to eat and become dehydrated. Due to his heart murmur, it was dangerous to do a full rehydration protocol and we took him home after a half-treatment and yet more powerful pain meds.

This week we started seeing signs that Odie may have had a small stroke or other event in the recent past - his eyes looked different, he would wander the house and pause in apparent confusion, and he was stumbling when taking short walks around the house to follow R.

This morning we had to make the call and take him in, knowing this would be our final trip with the little asshole. It was hard for both of us, but extremely hard for R. who has spent the last 7 years loving, putting up with, hating, and loving again the horrible little goblin.

Odie was quiet and calm at the office - not normal for him - and sat in R's arms slowly blinking at the world and yawning like he was ready for his nap. At the end, he relaxed so completely that I could see the pain and stress just leave him.

Odie is no longer in pain, but will always be the goblin prince of our hearts.

(Image is derpy Odie, hopped up on main meds and high AF during an ER vet visit this year. Bye little buddy.)