I’m stepping away from the kitchen today to pay tribute to a very special member of our family. Bruno passed away last November and I wanted to share with you a brief look into his very full life.
I know that many of you reading this are loyal and loving dog parents and understand how great the loss is when one of your babies passes. I also know that many of you are familiar with Bruno since he made lots of appearances here on the blog over the years.
We lost Bruno last November and I just couldn’t bare to write this post over the holidays. So, time has gone on and I felt it was time to pay him tribute through these pictures. Over the course of the past year I’ve witnessed some truly devastating tragedies that have affected the lives of friends so it seemed almost inappropriate to write this post at all, so thank you for indulging me and for all of your kind words.
He came to us when he was just a small pup and instantly decided he was okay with his big sister, Heidi (on the left). As you can see from this photo, Heidi wasn’t so sure but she soon grew to love him back.
We brought Bruno home shortly after our oldest son, Ryan (holding Bruno in the photo below), left for college and I joked with him that Bruno was his replacement. Little did I know at the time what a phenomenal job this little guy would do of helping me through that time. It is clear to me that these sweet souls enter our lives just when we need them.
Here are things we will remember most about him.
He was a happy member of the pack of boys and loved all “the brothers” so much.
He loved hanging out with us in the backyard.
He loved visiting the cabin each summer and digging in the sand.
Like all of our Bostons, he was a water dog and loved the river.
Sometimes you just have to jump in and start swimming!
He loved hiking and he loved his Daddy.
He loved the annual trip to cut down the Christmas tree.
He really, really loved opening presents on Christmas.
After grieving the loss of his sweet sister, Heidi, he grew to love his new sister, Bridget (the teeny pup on the left).
He loved playing in the water from the hose. Joyous!
And, he loved me. And, I loved him back.. so, so much.
He was a joyful, loving, truly special boy and I still think of him every single day.
Hi Val,
I just happened to come across your site while pursuing low-carb recepies on Pinterest and stopped when I saw Bruno’s sweet little face. One month ago tomorrow I lost my 10 y/o Boston Terrier, Brodie to an aggressive brain tumor. He was the best thing that ever happened to me, so having to make the painful decision to let him go went against every instinct I had. I don’t have children and just recently got married, so for most of my adult life he was my baby boy and the LOVE of my life. The last 29 days have been some of the darkest. Thanks for sharing your loving tribute to Bruno!
Azuree
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss, Azuree. We lost Bruno due to a brain tumor as well. I hadn’t known this was a somewhat common issue for this breed. But, oh my gosh, I totally understand what you’ve been through and I hope you are doing a little bit better each day. I’m glad you found this post 🙂
Hi Val,
We are sorry for your loss. Bruno is so cute and looked like he was a lot of fun!! We love your recipes and yours is one of my go-to blogs (thanks for the coleslaw, marinades, etc). I’m sorry to hear of pain in your life while you only offer joy to others!
Cheers to your family and thank you!!
~ Tracey
Thank you, Tracey 🙂
Bruno looks like he had a very happy life. SOrry for the loss of your friend. My family has had Bostons since I was a little kid. It is always painful to lose them, but the joy they bring means so much the family. Take care
Hi Valerie!!! Such a sweet tribute to your special fur baby!! I truly can see that he has brought so much joy to your family & was a huge part of it as well!!! I feel your love so very very much-we have 2 Shih Tzu little girls-Molly & Sadie-loves of my hubby & my life!!! Our 2 daughters no longer live with us & that was a difficult transition for me!!! I became a full blown alcoholic & had a hard time getting sober!!! We purchased our Sadie when I became 8 months sober & what a difference in my life!!! Then 6 months later gained another fur baby-Molly!!!! Sadie wasn’t too thrilled at first but 2 years later has grown to adore her-almost as much as Molly always adores Sadie!! LOL!!! Thanks for posting!!!
xoxo
Oh, Helene, I feel for you! What an amazing story! I’m so happy that those sweet babies have been able to fill your life and heart with so much joy and help heal your pain. Thanks so much for sharing your story here.
What a sweet guy! Thanks for sharing these lovely pics, Valerie.
Our Pekingese, Katie passed away last August, I know how much it hurts to lose our furry kids.
Here’s to our 4-legged buddies!
Peace,
RL
I’m so sorry to hear you lost your pup, RL. I appreciate your well wishes 🙂
Thank you for sharing the pictures and stories of Bruno, Valerie. Losing a pup is heart wrenching but when we lose a pup, I try to get my family to realize that there are other pups who need our love. These pups can help us with our grief, even though, we believe we are “rescuing” them. In fact, they are rescuing us. ??
I couldn’t agree more, Sylvia. Thank you!
He was so precious! Beautiful tribute to Bruno! I have been there and know the pain when you lose one is devistating. I don’t think I could ever be without a furbaby in my life. They really do bring such happiness to our lives and to love them back is truly joyous.
Thanks so much, Beckie. I love watching the adventures of Basil and know what a great mama you are to him.
Such a wonderful tribute to Bruno. I teared up looking at your pictures and reading the captions. They are truly part of the family. We have 2 English bullies presently but have lost 2 in the past. Never forgotten. They are so special with their unconditional love. Your last picture moved me. God bless you!
English Bulldogs are such great dogs. Thanks for your kind words, Kathleen.
A beautiful tribute to Bruno. They bring so much love and joy into our lives and truly make us better people. So sorry for your loss, you gave him a wonderful and happy life. God Bless!
Thank you so much, Diane 🙂
Oh, I know the pain so well! I have had Boston babies my whole life. As each one leaves, I feel my heart will not recuperate; but soon another baby would enter our lives to take a portion of the heart to warm it with such love and devotion. I even got my husband more in love with them than me (not really) Now when I look back thru the pics of all those babies, I relive moments, antics, good times and the love!! There is no other breed like a Boston. Beautiful story about Bruno.
I know exactly what you mean, Judy. The breed is so special. It’s so important to take a lot of pictures so we can keep these memories fresh. Thanks so much for your comment!
Thanks Valerie, beautiful tribute to a sweet sweet dog.
Thanks so much, Mary.
Aaw,Bruno was so adorable!I have been wanting either a “Boston”,or a French Bulldog.Maybe you can tell me,which of those 2 breeds,”snorts”?Also my 19 year old daughter.My youngest of 4 daughters.Brought home a poor little abandoned dog about 6 weeks ago.We already had a cat and a bunny.Her Dad was adamant,”no dog!”Only due to past experiences with her being irresponsible.He is a chihuahua and Min Pin combo.He had a chip;so we got his story.His owner passed away,and this 5 year old little dude,was wandering around for a year!Out in a rural area outside Phoenix!Anyway,he is healthy and laying next to me,bunny on the floor.What a blessing and precious addition to the crew.So amazing to watch the 3 animals interact!???
Hi Teri. Any of the short-snout breeds can snort a bit and some can really get their snore on but it varies by dog. If it’s very obvious, they should definitely be seen by a vet to see if they have any issues with their nasal passages or airway. All of our Bostons have had no issues with this.
What a heart warming account if Bruno, I am sorry for your loss. We list our Zoe 4 years ago also a Boston and was so very hard. She was a special joy in our lives. We now have another Boston, Max and he is such a sweet boy. Just the thought of ever losing him is heart wrenching. Fortunately he is in good health at 8 years old.
I hope that the smiles and live of Bruno will offer you some comfort at this time. You are in our prayers.
I appreciate your warm thoughts so much, Cyrisse. Max is a lucky guy 🙂 Wishing you the best with your sweet boy.