Teaspoon and Grandpap

Witness: Courtney
Location: Bentleyville, Pennsylvania
Date of Encounter: March 6, 2004

My Grandpap and my dog, Teaspoon were very close. At birthday parties, she would only sit on Grandpap's lap and Grandpap wouldn't let a picture be taken of him unless she was with him. I guess they were best friends, at least until March 6, 1999, that's when my Grandpap died. 

Teaspoon realized it somehow because when we took her to my Grandparents' house to help cheer my Grandma up a little, Teaspoon searched the whole house. She didn't give up until she saw his crutches. My Grandpap walked on crutches after his second knee surgery and she knew something was wrong when she saw them on his side of the bed in my grandparents' bedroom.

We wanted to take Teaspoon to the funeral home or at least to the service at the cemetery, but the people said no dogs, no matter how calm they are. We all could tell Teaspoon was devastated, and after that her health just kept slipping. It seemed as though without him she felt "What was the use?" She would sleep on a pillow for hours and her ears would perk up when we said "Papa."

On March 5, 2004, she seemed worse than ever. I let her stay and sleep upstairs (because she usually was downstairs) so when I went to check on her at 12:00 midnight she was sitting up in the middle of the living room, in the dark, looking up at the couch. I was confused at what she was looking at so I looked closer at the couch — the part of it where she was starring at was sagged down! (We have a soft Lazy Boy couch that sinks when you sit.) I was shocked, but Teaspoon was sitting there perfectly intent. I went back to bed, thinking Teaspoon and Papa.

The next morning when my Mom and Dad were up and I was still asleep, sadly Teaspoon died while laying on my Dad's lap. It seemed a little weird that Teaspoon, Papa's best friend, died on the anniversary of his death.

You can't tell me that a best friend won't wait for you — man's best friend all and all.