Have you ever asked yourself what it would be like to be a dog? Or even be like YOUR dog? My dog, Rudy, was a hero, a true inspiration. And so yes, I’ve asked myself, how can I be more like Rudy?
Maybe you’re wondering what made Rudy so special. To be honest, I wouldn’t even know where to start. His story is long, complicated, and challenging but inspirational and filled with happiness and grit. Everyone who knows his story has told me I should write a book about him. And you know, they’re probably right. He touched so many lives, and his story is truly inspirational.
Rudy was a surprise for Grace and me. Little did we know he would be the gift our family needed during his 12 years of life. He was such a cute puppy. You couldn’t resist falling in love with him as you experienced his loving personality and persevering attitude. He took us on quite an adventure during those 12 years. We joked that he was like a cat with nine lives.
Why a cat with nine lives? Well, let me list for you all his near-death experiences, which, by the way, actually exceeded nine!
He swallowed a bee and went into anaphylactic shock.
He ate some leaves from a toxic Golden Pathos plant (no, we didn’t know it was toxic to dogs at the time) and nearly died. Even the vet didn’t expect him to make it through the night.
He was dog-napped…yes, no lie, from our backyard. That’s a long story, but we got him back!
He escaped the fence (we put it up after he was dog-napped), went missing for a couple of days, and we found him behind our house after he was hit by a car. We didn’t expect him to survive that either. The poor little guy lost his eye.
He fell over the ravine at our next house…and bounced back over the edge like it never happened!
He was run over by a car in the driveway. Yes, I was the guilty party that did it. I didn’t see him, and apparently, with his blind side, he didn’t see me either. That was an awful event I’d like to forget!
When I wasn’t watching, he ate grapes and immediately got sick. I took him to the vet, but yet again, we didn’t know if he’d make it.
He was diagnosed with a pancreatic tumor.
He was diagnosed with diabetes.
He lost his eyesight, and grab your tissue – our cat would walk him to the pet door so he could still go out. I’m not crying; you’re crying!
He fell from the second-floor loft but landed on an armchair below. What luck he had, too!!! And yes, after that, we put up a gate so he couldn’t go up the stairs.
Told you he was SPECIAL!
So, if you stayed with me and made it to this point in the post, then you will now understand why Rudy’s story is the reason behind the name of my website, Rise Like Rudy. There never could be a more genuine example of how to rise in any and every situation you may find yourself in. His vet called him Little Beast because he was such a fighter. Even they had a hard time saying goodbye when Rudy’s body finally gave up, and we had to let him go. But his story lives on. And I use it now to inspire and encourage others.
Rise.
Find joy.
Live.
Live like Rudy.
RISE Like Rudy!