On a beautiful spring day in April of 2006, my son Dylan approached our front door along with his friend and a beautiful 6-month-old giant schnauzer named Ricky. Dylan politely asked if they could bring Ricky in to meet my wife Lori and I, as well as our daughter Megan and my mother Patricia, who happened to be at our home for dinner that fateful day.
I took one look at Ricky and was immediately impressed by his unique beauty. He had these huge paws that were too big for his body and I remember thinking to myself that he was going to be a big boy. His coat was a soft, shiny black and he had a beard to complement his handsome face. I told the kids they could bring their furry friend inside, and upon entering the room, Ricky walked over to me and I proceeded to rub his ears until he turned to my daughter and nuzzled up against her and put his head in her lap. He then noticed my wife sitting across the room. He watched her closely and approached her in an obvious attempt to gain her approval as well. I would later learn that Ricky had been returned to the breeders because the family could not handle him. Giant schnauzers require extensive human interaction combined with daily exercise and they are extremely intelligent, loyal, brave and vigorous.
My son turned to me and told me that his friend’s family, who happened to be giant schnauzer breeders, wanted to give Ricky to us because my son had helped them paint their house. My wife and I looked at each other thinking that this does not sound like such a great deal. However, through my interactions with Ricky, I would soon find out just how great of a deal it really was. Dylan promised me that he and his sister would clean up the dog poop in the backyard and take him for walks every day. After a long discussion with Lori, we agreed to let Ricky stay for one night to see how he would adjust in our home. My mother called me the next morning and suggested that we keep Ricky because he had a special quality about him. I thought about him putting his head in my daughter’s lap and how he seemed to be very comfortable with us. It was at this time that we decided that Ricky would stay permanently. I believe that Ricky was acutely aware of the fact that he needed to win our hearts that day we met him because he had been given up by his previous family.
It soon became very apparent that I would be the one who took Ricky on his daily walks. My wife was extremely helpful and the kids pitched in as well. My mom would take care of Ricky for us when we went on vacation, but when it came to getting Ricky out on the Juneau trails during those cold, winter days, it was me who was granted the responsibility.
Before I met Ricky, I was a rare sight on the trails around Juneau. You would only see me on the trails if I was headed to a favorite fishing spot. Suddenly, I was going out on long treks along Mendenhall Lake, bike rides at Dredge Lake and frequenting numerous trails around Juneau. If I didn’t get Ricky out everyday, I would hear about it from him. He would get very excited when I got home from work and he would insist on singing with me before we headed out on our daily walk together. Ricky got his name because he would sit out in the backyard with his sister and sing when they were very young, so the previous owners named them Ricky and Lucy.
Ricky and I had numerous encounters with Romeo, the beautiful black wolf, and I often look back with fondness on those special days when Romeo would greet us at the trail head over by Skater’s Cabin. I went on many adventures with my buddy over the next few years. Life was good, and I knew how lucky I was to have him with me. He really was my loyal companion, and I was completely in love with him.
When Ricky was 6, I noticed that he was showing signs of injury in his right hind leg and upon getting an X-ray, it was determined that he would need surgery to repair a torn ACL. The cost of the procedure was hard to swallow, but Lori and I knew we had to do this for him. Ricky bounced right back after he healed from the surgery and we were back on the trails within a few months. Unfortunately, his left ACL tore about a year and a half later and we moved forward with that surgery as well and once again, he showed his resilience. Approximately six months ago, we had to have his toe amputated because of a tumor, but he once again recovered quickly and did quite well. Losing his toe didn’t affect his mobility whatsoever. He was always happy go lucky, regardless of whether he was in pain.
We had to say goodbye to Ricky last week after the vet informed us that he had developed bone cancer and there was nothing that could be done for him. When the vet called to give me the bad news, I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach with a steeltoe boot. This was not the outcome that I was expecting and I was not prepared. I thought we would just fix him up once again and he would be back out on the trails with me. Ricky helped me through so many difficult times during the past decade and I am having a hard time letting him go.
When I think of Ricky, I am reminded of the good things in life such as companionship, loyalty, forgiveness, happiness, adventure and unconditional love. I want to honor Ricky by trying to be more like him as I move forward. I am very aware of what I have lost and I also know that I am so lucky to have had him in my life. He made me a better person and through this experience I have been shown that we should not take anything for granted because it can be taken from us in a blink of an eye. My mom is getting older and I realize that I need to focus on her now, more than ever. My wife was very close to Ricky and I must acknowledge that he was her buddy too. He was also adored by our son and daughter, as well as my mom and they are also feeling the pain of losing him.
Rest in peace my friend, until we meet again.
• Ian Martin lives in Juneau. To read about Ricky’s and Romeo’s first meeting, go to hubpages.com/animals/romeo-at-mendenhall.
