Gabe Arlis, by the Romanos

What Gabe taught his family . . .

Gabe jumped right into our life at the tender age of six weeks on Feb. 24th, 2007. We hardly slept at all that first night, expecting him to whimper or bark. Not one sound! And so it went: Gabe slept peacefully in his crate every night, keeping it nice and tidy. He taught us admiration for his ability to adapt.

Aside from wanting to use his family as chew toys, Gabe was a lot of fun as a cuddly puppy. He was always happy to be with us. He loved playing, eating and getting dog treats and bananas. He taught us love and happiness by just being together.

Then his pre-adult stage rolled in like thunder. Wow, where did our puppy go? Gabe didn’t like to listen but he did like to destroy everything he could get his mouth wrapped around. He became very head-strong and aloof. Does he like his family anymore? . . . we found ourselves asking. He taught us patience, anger management and perseverance.

On Jan. 10th, 2008 we happily celebrated Gabe’s 1st birthday. His face held the expression of wonder all day as he got special treats and extra attention all day long. Now as our almost adult dog, Gabe started maturing. He again wanted to spend time with his family. He loved hiking and bounding in the snow. He especially liked pulling his boy, Andrew, on the sled. He taught us to enjoy each other.

Sadly, his life with us ended all too quick. On Feb. 5th, 2008 he died. Unknown to us, he had eaten fabric which eventually ruptured his intestine. He has left a tremendous void in our family. Our lives will never be the same without him. He taught us to hang onto the memories, look back at them and learn, and make the most of each day.

In loving memory; we miss you Gabe. Your family the Romanos