The Loss of Our Pack Member: Remembering Chance

BY KITTY L. | SHIROOKAMI - DOGS.UNITE | APRIL 8 2023

Chance and Kitty at OC. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Today, we have lost a very important part of the pack.  Ever small and distinguished, Chance has been just as contributing member of our dogventures as Stella herself.  You can catch him scaling mountains and waterfalls, exploring wetlands, and braving the ocean in our previous posts.  Not to mention being the perfect model. 

 

He's runnin' up that hill. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Exploring the Neabsco Boardwalk during a rainy day. | Dante M. / SHIROOKAMI

What Chance lacked in stature, he made up for in extreme courage and loyalty, protecting us from much larger four-footed aggressors.  Owing to his rough past before being found by his one and only, he knew the streets well and was always determined not to let anyone mess with him or those he was protecting.  Definitely the Chihuahua in him.

A sunny day with Chance at Virginia Beach. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

While I only knew Chance for a fraction of his very long life, I will say this.  Losing him felt like losing a good friend, in slow motion.  He was always forward-facing, with large brown observant eyes.  His signature floppy ears  kept him from looking the perfect part for a Taco Bell commercial.

 

Doesn't Chance complete the art? | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

He had the swiftness of a hare and a wanderlust that would rival my own.  Most notoriously, he would shed feather-like chunks of fur, in addition to imprinting hair-clones of himself on whatever he touched. 

Chance swapping glasses with Kitty in the early days. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

A fellow food critic, Chance reviews Embrey Mill with me. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Over time, he slowed down.  No longer able to leap over stairs, he waited to be carried.  His golden hair that lit up while floating through beams of sun light began to settle.  And the sweet face, always watching, became white with time.  Still, he would have unexpected bouts of energy which took him far.  I was told he used to chase down horses and dig out moles in his prime.  I still got to witness his last zoomies and his moments of curiosity while I exercised on the floor.

Chance sleeping as dogs do. | Dante M. / SHIROOKAMI

Then, just a year ago, a stroke tried to take him.  But, the fighter in Chance kept him with us for a bit longer.  Enough for us to see again how much a dog can live on love for his people alone.  His sense of direction faded away with the sparkle in his eyes, no longer able to enjoy his daily walks. 

Still lookin' good at 18 years old. | SHIROOKAMI

In dreams, he still wagged his tail and chased critters, but awake, one could tell he was preparing for his well-deserved rest.  The comfort of food, warmth, and being surrounded by those he loved were the only things he seemed to enjoy.  But aren’t those the best things a dog can ask for?  In the end, he left us having it all. 

Ice cream on the last day - he took the bowl from my hand! | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

There’s a lesson to be learned with Chance’s passing.  In a life where we start with something small, then gain so much over time, we also lose so much near the end of it.  Might we cherish the simple things we already have, the basics in our lives?  The memories we have, the simple pleasures, the handful of people we love.  At the end of our lives, that’s what we take with us.  Maybe that’s what drove Chance’s fighting spirit throughout his life.  If it was good enough for him, then I’d say it’s good enough for the rest of us, too.

 

Chance and his human. | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI