Maxman and I met in a Petsmart in August 1995. The local pet rescue had an adoption day and I wanted and needed a dog. Me and Max were together for eleven years.

A bit about me…

From birth till my 32nd birthday I had twelve dogs. Until Max, not longer than two years and I never put one down… until Max. My dad was in the oil business (He worked for Mobil) and we moved often but never took the dog with us. After graduation from college I had a few dogs but always gave them away when I moved…. Until Max.

Their names were, Baby, Tiger, Sam, Suzie, Curly, Cindy, Hazel. Nutmeg, Annie, Reindeer, Blizzard, Keno and Bogart (Yes a Basset).

I was walking Max (he was called Marvin then) around Petsmart, seeing if he was friendly to others (he was) and trainable (he fooled me there). After fifteen minutes of walking around, I looked down at him and asked him “Do you want to go home?” He looked up at me and wagged his tail. I took this as a good omen until he pooped in the aisle. I spent eighty seven dollars that I didn’t have on Max. It was the best decision I ever made.

The first year together was a learning experience for both of us. Max learned not to drink my rum and coke, and I learned not to leave my $600 leather shoes on the floor. Max had separation anxiety and over the eleven years he cost me over $7000 in shoes, leather jackets and carpets. Worth every penny.

Max got me through every break up and every bad decision. I realized he didn’t care where we lived as long as we were together.

Max also had ear infections. He would get them every year or so and off we would go to the vet for meds and ear rinses. Until August of 2006.

Max was acting as he always did with an ear infection. He scratched, howled and made those sharp pain whelps in the middle of the night. After a trip to the vet and Max getting worse, I took him back to him. A sub vet was in and discovered that Max was deaf and blind. He explained to me that he was going insane.

I put Maxman, Max-a-million, Maxi-pad down on August 8, 2006. The last weekend we spent together, I had to put him in my car and drive away from my town home. I was up for 47 hours trying to make him feel better. I couldn’t. It was time.
I miss my dog.
I miss my friend.

Alan from Minnesota