Losing a pet is one of the hardest things a human will have to go through in life. We received this beautiful tribute with a powerful message from the Liebenow family in honor of their sweet Bungee. Their hope is to help other families and to remind us all to savor every moment with loved ones.
Bungee
“I wanted to say THANK YOU to the entire team at AHC. I thought you might enjoy a bit of home life info on Bungee. The team at AHC was an important part of keeping Bungee healthy and happy right up to her last breath. We are sad of course, but seeing a few pictures brings back memories, and does ease the pain.
Through tears and with a heavy heart I share the news of Bungee’s passing. I lost a lot of ‘Bigness’ from my world today. Bungee was a big yellow lab that stole our hearts just under 14 years ago. She arrived on the heels of another lab, Indy. We lost Indy to cancer at 6.5 years of age. It could be said that Bungee was a ‘rebound’ affair, since I brought her home less than three weeks after Indy’s passing.
Bungee personified [dogified?] bigness. She was a solidly built lab, stocky, but not fat. A good frame for crashing through tall grass and cattails. We loved hunting pheasants together, and finding out where the bunnies lived around the house. I will treasure the rooster mount that was her first flush / retrieve. She liked it too, and often came into my office to check out her ‘birdie’.
She also had a big heart. I can’t think of a single time she was aggressive with any other dog, or new person she met. We often joked about the way she greeted visitors and the people at the vet’s office. I think she liked them better than her family.
Lake life was another area of bigness for Bungee. She spent countless hours swimming, retrieving training bumpers, and launching herself off the end of the dock. it was a joy to watch her in her element, and a privilege to train her.
Lest I forget, food was definitely an area of bigness for Bungee. Lots of stories to share on this but the one that comes to mind is the time she ate an entire rack of [raw] ribs, bones included. She might not have been comfortable afterwards, but I am pretty sure she was pleased with herself.
Bungee was a big part of our lives for the last 13.75 years.
There is now an emptiness that won’t soon or easily be filled. The point of this post? Live big. Love big. Don’t hold back. Savor every moment.”
