Sometimes, if one is fortunate enough, someone comes into your life that makes the inevitable saying goodbye so bittersweet. Almost 5 years ago, we said our farewell to Rhodie.
Rhodie was a Rhodesian Ridgeback that Ben got through a kennel in Jordan, a hamlet in the Niagara wine region. He wasn't your classic, long-limbed Ridgeback; rather, he had more mastiff features: broad and deep-chested. He held on to his puppy'ish exuberance longer than usual, and at close to a hundred pounds fully grown, he was a handful on a leash. He had the gracefulness of a gazelle, the speed of a horse, and the strength of a bear. He was so gentle with Misha, the Shih Tzu and Moxie, the cat. He became a mentor to Diesel, the neurotic, hypersensitive Boxer-Spaniel. Rhodie was a match with any poodle, retriever, or shepherd in the intelligence department.
So it came as a surprise when he developed a lump in his neck. We learned that Lymphoma is the most common cause of mortality in dogs, particularly of mastiff-type dogs such as Ridgebacks. And so in 2016, we said our goodbyes to Rhodie.
So here is Rhodie, in an impromptu photo session 8 years ago (March 2012). He would be 10 years old at this writing.
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