Kosmo

April 7, 2005 – October 17, 2013

Kosmo 2013 001

Kosmo came into our life on a chance visit to the Edmonton Humane Society on June 14, 2005. Born on April 7, 2005 he was a mere 8 weeks old and only weighed 10 pounds. He was so small that he could lay down on the centre console in our truck while we took him home. His given name was John and his brothers were the other Beatles, Paul, George, and Ringo. We felt Kosmo was a much better suited name because of the way he looked.

Kosmo 2013 002

Kosmo 2013 002a

We fell in love with Kosmo right away and chose him because he was the quiet one of the litter. Little did we know this would soon change and Kosmo turned out to be full of energy, highly intelligent, easily trained, and loved to work! The more work he had the happier he was. Kosmo was also very protective and extremely loyal and did not like being separated from his family!

Kosmo 2013 003

Kosmo 2013 003a

Kosmo was also quick to display his prowess as an escape artist and provided us with countless challenges to find ways to keep him safely kennelled while we were away at work. I really wished that I had the type of job that would have allowed me to keep him with me during the day but it is hard to make a living playing fetch!

Kosmo loved cuddles and being petted, going for walks, runs, bike rides, playing tug of war, and agility training. When we first moved into our house most of the surrounding area was still rural with lots of fields and woods. It was like living in the country and Kosmo loved to go for very long off leash walks, sometimes 3-4 hours, so that he was free to run, play, and explore.

Kosmo 2013 004

Kosmo 2013 004a

Kosmo 2013 004b

Kosmo 2013 004c

Kosmo 2013 004d

Kosmo 2013 004e

Playing fetch was by far his favourite thing to do though. Kosmo would greet you with toy in mouth, most often one of his rings, trying to initiate play and would not stop until you played out. I think he was worried that if he stopped you would stop too. Often times we would have to make him take breaks so he could have a drink. I am certain he would have played until his heart exploded if you let him. He was in is glory doing this for countless hours each day!

Kosmo 2013 005

Kosmo 2013 005a

Kosmo 2013 005b

Kosmo 2013 005c

In 2007 our family grew with the birth of Owen. Kosmo was very happy to have mom home with him and he was sure to stay close for cuddles and watch over them while Angela would feed and care for Owen.

Kosmo 2013 006

Kosmo 2013 006a

Kosmo 2013 006b

Kosmo 2013 006c

Kosmo 2013 006d

In 2008 our family grew again with the arrival of Brandon. Kosmo now had mom home again and was very familiar with the routine of feeding and cuddles.

Kosmo 2013 007

Kosmo 2013 007a

Kosmo was very protective of his brothers, he kept a careful watch over them and always made sure he could see where they both were. Kosmo also enjoyed being brushed and petted by Owen and Brandon. As we all got older their fondness of each other grew and the responsibilities of having a dog were taken on by the boys. They would often help us take Kosmo to the bathroom, get him food and water, make sure they were gentle petting him, put his leash off and on and even help to bring him into the house from the van. They were proud of Kosmo as their dog and took great comfort in knowing he could help them find mom and dad in a game of hide and seek as well as keep them and our house safe. Simply put Kosmo was the best dog ever and worthy of super hero status!

Kosmo 2013 008

Kosmo 2013 008a

Kosmo 2013 008b

Kosmo 2013 008c

Kosmo 2013 008d

Kosmo 2013 008e

Over the Thanksgiving Weekend Kosmo became very sick. His breathing was short, labored and wheezy and had a whimper to it. We thought that it might have been kennel cough and so I took him to the vet. After an initial physical exam, blood tests and x-rays the results were in. Kosmo had a very large mass in his lungs and another in his abdominal area. Our biggest fear came true, Kosmo had cancer.

We took a few days off to spend with Kosmo and the boys stayed out of school on Thursday afternoon so that we could take some pictures with him. Kosmo passed away Thursday afternoon with Angela and I by his side. He was only 8, his life to brief. We were far from ready to let him go, to say goodbye but knew he was suffering badly. He is already missed more than words can express and will be greatly missed by our family. The pain of losing Kosmo is difficult. We were fortunate to have him be such a tremendous part of our lives. The memories we have of him will be cherished forever.

It is sad to see all that remains and everywhere I look I am filled with wonderful memories of our beloved Kosmo and wish he was still with us.

Kosmo 2013 009a

Kosmo 2013 009b

Kosmo 2013 009c

Kosmo 2013 009d

Kosmo 2013 009e

Kosmo 2013 009f

Kosmo 2013 009g

Kosmo 2013 009h

Kosmo 2013 009i

Kosmo 2013 009j

Kosmo 2013 009k

Kosmo 2013 009l

Kosmo 2013 009