Dillon (1994 - 2009)

I finally had to say goodbye to my champion of a staffy yesterday. He had a good stint of 15 years or so, and was fortunate enough to be in pretty good health up until about the last 6 months. He was loyal, affectionate and a real character - there were many daffy things he did over the years, frequently causing us to crack up. He was loved dearly by our whole family.

Some of the things I will always remember about Dillon.

• How he loved people and was happy to meet, well, anyone really. As long as they were willing to pat him, he would have happily greeted a burglar with a wagging tail.
• How he disliked other animals... No cat ever got by without sensing the wrath of Dillon's hatred. It was a complete nuisance to him that he could not be let out to attack the cats every once in a while.
  
• How he loved to lie outside in the sun. He would stay out there for hours and finally stagger back inside when he was on the brink of dehydration. I could swear he had partly roasted himself on several occasions.
• He deplored rainy weather. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and as soon as it became a little overcast, Dillon would suddenly slip into a deep and obvious depression, sulking around the house (inside of course) and sighing as loudly as he could.
• How he would either snore or dream when he was in a deep sleep. When the latter occurred, he would sometimes start barking at an unknown something (probably a cat) until he woke himself up with the noise of his own barking.
• How he would stare you down if you were in possession of chips until you gave in and gave him some.
• How he would make you feel guilty if you had not paid attention to him in a while. By a while, I mean anything as little as 10 minutes. The severity of his looks would depend on what manner of neglect he had suffered and for how long.
• How he appreciated nothing more than a good pat, some sunshine, a walk or some scraps off the table.
• He would never give up on a game. He used to bite on to the used milk cartons and play tug-of-war with them. You could lift him up by the milk bottle and he would not let go.
  

So it's with sadness but fond memories that I look back on Dillon's life and our time together. I will miss him terribly. Rest in peace - I couldn't have asked for a more loyal companion and friend.

Jody