Cooper

Yesterday was a pretty rough for the Bennett household. One of our boxers, Cooper, was hit a car and they could not save him. This is the first real pet that my kids have lost. They were devastated.

Cooper had never been out of the yard. He used to be an inside dog with his momma, Harley, but he eventually decided that he liked it better outside and would not come in anymore. Cooper was the most beautiful boxer I have ever seen. The day he was born I fell in love with him instantly. He was the only male in the litter. He was fawn colored with solid white all the way around his neck. He was mine. He was a good dog, just very, very hyper as we did not get him fixed. We had kinda planned on studding him out, but never did.

The kids were very upset to say the least. Jessica started crying immediately, I told her first. Then we went out and told Jordan and Jackson. They were outside playing with friends. Jackson just kinda looked at me and stared really hard. I could tell he was fighting back the tears because his friends were there. Then he just let it go. I picked him up and carried him in the house. I talked to him about Cooper going up to doggie heaven with my sister's dog, Buster. He kinda thought that was cool. "At least Cooper would have a cousin there." Jackson eventually cried himself to sleep on the couch, bless his heart. he woke up and maybe thought it was a dream, because he came and asked if Cooper was really gone. I told him yes and he cried a little more and all night he kept talking about things Cooper would do that were silly.

Jordan actually handled it pretty well. She is my tender-hearted child, I kinda thought she would take it the worst. But she was comforting the rest. My brother, Bernie, came over last night to patch up the hole that they were getting out of under my deck. Thanks Bern, I love you!

I did try to explain to the kids that this is part of life. This is just the first of many heart breaks that they will have throughout their lives. We did not get to bury Cooper in the back yard because I really wasn't sure how to do that by myself.

Harley (the momma dog) moped and cried all night to go outside and I would get up and let her out and she would wonder around the yard just waiting on Cooper to come out to ponce on her. She knows that something is not quite right. She actually looks sad. I guess she will be ok.