Bandit: Best. Dog. Ever.

Bandit passed away  0430 Friday morning. He was 15 years old--which is about the average life expectancy of Chinese Cresteds, depending on who you read (some sources say 12-15, the AKC says 12-18). 

He's been my FurLessBoy and constant TravelBuddy since he was 18 months old. He's traveled so much, Friends have joked he's more traveled than they are.
 

They are probably right. 

In adition to frolicking on Pet Friendly beaches in Florida, Texas, California, Oregon, and Maine, he's attended numerous Dog Friendly professional and college sporting events--mostly baseball games:  Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, and Baylor Bears--but he has also attended Odessa Jackalopes ice hocky. He was an equal sporting event opportunity kind of dog--as long as it was pet friendly.

But he didn't limit his outings to sporting events, Bandit has shopped in pet friendly stores, lounged while I browsed/read/loaded up in Half-Priced Books (they are almost always pet friendly), dinned in pet friendly restaurants, attended pet friendly events nationwide.  He also explored pet friendly parks, carnivals, and festivals, as well as the Manitou Cliff Dwellings--we missed meeting the Wolves because I forgot the Flute Player and Wolves alternated weekends. The Flute Player was in residence during our visit.

He's worn costumes and walked in numerous Barcus Parades in NOLA, and participated in our own version of Treat or Trick (our reversal on the beggars holiday, where we took treats to our Friends and their Feathered/FurKids).

Bandit has also "lost" a couple competitions.  We failed to catch the judges eye in an Old Town Spring costume contest, and in Denton he was robbed of the "Shortest Hair" title when the judges compared his 4-inch crest, rather than his total hairlessness, to the minuscule coat of a short hair Chihuahua. It was rigged in favor of the home town girl I tell ya. 😉

In Petaloma CA he lost The Ugly Dog Contest. But that was the goal since we went to obtain undeniable proof of our proclaimation to all doubters:  Bandit is not ugly! That loss was actually a mission accomplished and I have it tallied in the Win column. In fact, not only was Bandit not the Ugliest Dog, he was the most handsome pup there! 😍

No matter what the blind and misguided judges thought, he's no loser. Actually, Bandit is part of a few Guinness World Records (Most Simultaneous DogYoga Participant's, Most Simultaneous Tricks, and Largest Hair Ball)--all were hosted by The Mighty Texas Dog Walk.

But his most lasting win was my heart. 💜💜💜

He was already named Bandit when he came to live with me.  I didn't particularly care for the name, but didn't want to confuse him by changing it. I soon came to realize it was the perfect name for him, because he stole the heart of every one he met.

Bandit was also cultured.  He attended concerts, theatrical productions, and movies in parks all over the country, as well as the now defunct amphitheater on the UMHB campus.  I have a wickely perverse sense of humor, so my favorite was attending the Broadway musical Cats--part of the Under the Stars series several years ago at the Miller Outdoor Theater in Houston's Herman Park.

Bandit didn't always travel well--he threw up three times on his first drive home, and at least twice driving to the park.  But once he became acclimated to the SUV he loved to go for a ride--be it one of our epic cross-country adventures, or  simply Saturday errands around town, which would take us through through several drive thrus: Bank, Fast Food, Starbucks, Dry Cleaners, etc. and they all offered him doggie treats. It was such a routine, that he started barking his order at all drive-thru windows and screens.  Even the  pharmacy. 

During our long trips he loved watching the scenary from his elevated seat in the back and would get excited when he recognized a place we were revisiting. Or if he smelled a gathering of dogs.

Once, I was driving Hwy 98 between Destin and Panama City Beach. Bandit became highly aggitated. I noticed a tiny sign about a foot off the grass pointing the way to a dog fair.  I had never been to Seaside, so we turned and followed the signs. The fair ended up being 5 or 10 miles away. (In a really cute town.)

Another time, we were tooling around town in Ocean Springs MS, a cute artys-fartys kind of place, when all of a sudden he went balistic. Yep. Doggie Boutique on the right. I'm not saying his nose is pretty awesome even for a dog, or that he can read, but....

Far be it from Bandit to stop at riding in motorized transportation.  He's also ridden in horse-drawn carragies in the French Quarter, sat on a Belton Fire Truck and a Sweet Potato Queen parade float in Jackson MS, shared a double stroller with his CatBrother Moggy, sailed on a Mail Ferry in Portland Maine, and ridden a "jeep" tour through Fantastic Caverns in Springfield MO (which was discovered by a dog, and during the prohibition, the caverns  housed an illegal underground speakeasy).  Saddly, we never got around to the pet friendly steam boat, train, or hot air balloon rides I found.

He's stayed in beachfront condos in Texas and Oregon, log cabins in the mountains of New Mexico and  Georgia,  a tiny house in west Texas, a yurt in Arkansas, a tepee motel in Holbrook AZ, kitchy dives along Route 66, and 5 star luxury hotels in Manhattan and Dallas (part of a Dallas Cowboys Tour).

Because of Bandit I've been interviewed by an Oklahoma newspaper, numerous NOLA radio and TV stations, Animal Planet, and I won a trip during an Atlanta Braves fan game.  To my knowledge, that jumbotron event was not televised; however, imagine my surprise when I received a call from a Friend saying she had just seen Bandit on the Texas Rangers jumbotron (she was watching the nationally televised game at home on her TV).

Bandit has had his photo taken with total strangers, Santa,  local celebrities, The Sweet Potato Queen, McDuff the Crime Dog, Little Ceaser, Blue Dog,  professional athletes, Hollywood Animal Casting professionals, cable TV personalities, national politicians and international best-selling authors. Kinky Friedman counts twice on the list since he is both a politician of sorts and an author.

The past couple months Bandit has been in and out of the Emergencey Vet, as well as follow-up visits with his regular Vet, so I knew his death was fast approaching; however, I still was not ready.

This week Bandit returned to the Emergency Vet, then spent two days at his regular Vet, but came home with me during the nights since he was stable and they didn't have anýone on duty to monitor him over night in case he decompensated. 

Bandit seemed to be responding to the new med regimine, although his new baseline resperations were on the high side of normal.

Thursday his respirations continued to creep up during the day despite his morning meds.   I gave  him  extra Lasix when I got home. He seemed to respond (his respirations came down to his new baseline, but not down to where I really wanted them).  He had eatten a good breakfast, but was not interested in dinner despite the appetite stimulant.

During the middle of the night he became restless, his respirations climbed, and he appeared to be in acute respiratiory distress. I called the Emergency Vet so they could get the ICU crate ready for him. They advised me to go to Killeen because their only empty ICU Crate was large and would take too long to fill with oxygen.

I couldn't hold Bandit and drive, so I moved his dog bed to the passenger seat.  As I drove, I rubbed his favorite spots (between his eyes and his lower back just above his tail) and told him repeatedly how much I loved him and what a good boy he was.  

Before we made it too far out of Belton he stuggled to sit up, fell forward, gave a little whimper, and was gone.

💜💜💜Bandit: Best. Dog. Ever.💜💜💜

Mama loves you and will  miss your sweet face, soulful brown eyes now cloudy with cataracts,  happy-go-lucky disposition, playful antics, and sharply insistant bark.

Rest in peace my precious BanditBoy. 💔🖤💔🖤💔