"My Dog Scamp: May She Rest in Peace"
by Tami BaumannPVPHS class of 06
Throughout my childhood, I refused to watch the movie "All Dogs go to Heaven," not because I expected them to go to hell or anything, but I was raised to believe that once someone left us on earth they would go to a place of tranquility and perfection.
I felt as though life with my dog, Scamp, was close to perfect. (Well, except having to clean up after her, but the love she gave me compensated for that and much more.) She was a Bichon, a very high-maintenance dog, which would seem like an odd dog for me, considering I am a low-maintenance person, but somehow it just fit.
Scamp was always the constant in my life. She was my tranquil place when my baby sister wouldn't stop crying. She was there, next to me, when my parents were fighting. Scamp was by my side when my parents' divorce was final, receiving continuous bursts of water as I cried. She stood next to me when I learned about my dad's plans to move far away. As my life abruptly changed, somehow, she didn't-she was strong. As I look back I am beginning to understand that I found my strength in her. Although I was not aware of this at the time, I now understand that a constant is what people need to stay sane, and I am part of the lucky few who found it in a pet.
As we grew older, I dreaded the day when she would have to leave me, when I could no longer look to my side and see her standing there. Unfortunately, that day did come in 1998. Whether she goes to "dog heaven" or not, she will always have a constant place in my heart.