R.I.P. William Wallace

He came into our lives in 2002. I can remember very clearly going out to the breeder’s place near Big Timber and walking out to the kennels filled with anxious, barking dogs. The breeder had a lot of different varieties, and all were noisy with the exception of the Westies. They were in one caged run just sitting quietly, watching us as the other dogs around them were going berserk. I guess I was sold on the breed that day. The breeder showed us to a mother with about five or six little white pups, and our boys picked out one small fellow that seemed more lively than the rest. However, we were not allowed to take him that day; he needed to be weaned along with his siblings and it was not until about three weeks later that I drove to the parking

lot of the Bozeman Wal-Mart where I met the breeder’s husband and actually purchased Willie. It felt like we were conducting a drug deal. For the next seventeen years Willie was a part of our family. He watched the boys grow up and leave home. He traveled with us to Arkansas and Arizona. He stayed at home with Max, our friend, while we went on our overseas trips. He even went for an airplane ride last November when we flew from Phoenix to Bozeman, sitting quietly under the seat in front of me. And most of all, he brought us a lot of joy. His run ended today following a week of steady decline, and he has left a void in our hearts. Goodbye, Willie. I said it so many times, and I said it again as you were dying, “You are a good, good dog.”

This cartoon is published with the permission of the artist, Mark Glavin, and his website ubertoolcomic.com.