All Things Dog Blog

Guest post by Tanner Boyko

What's Wrong with Chiffon?

I found my roommate looking peaked this morning and summoned Mom to his tank. She gave me a sad look and explained that Chiffon appears to have gone to the great fish tank in the sky--the Rainbow Bridge, where pets are still lively, young and active. I'm sort of sad, having enjoyed his presence, even as I was always trying to join him for a swim.

Ever since I drank half his water (Isn't that what a bowl of water is for?) and splashed it around a bit, Mom has had Chiffon's tank on a higher counter where I could see, but not drink. Oliver probably thinks the little guy vanished, since from his lower vantage point, he can't see much of what goes on along our countertops. That's one reason I love being a Retriever; counter surfing is a great sport, even if it is only a spectator sport. I'm not allowed to steal food or fish. #doublesigh

We're not sure how long a typical Betta Fish generally lives. Our Chiffon was with us just shy of 2 years; seems like a short life to me. I asked Oliver what he thought about the situation, but he seems seriously confused. He's not as compelled to go swimming with Chiffon as I am. I've tried, believe me. The fish tank is just not large enough. What was Mom thinking?

Maybe that's the problem. I've tried to give Mom the look that says, "Can't we put Chiffon in my big water tank in the back yard? I promise to swim nicely with him. We can race and play fetch together." Well, I suppose his chances of winning at that game are not very high, but I'd be happy to give him a handicap for scoring purposes.

While he lived a short life, it was rich with interaction. Before Mom moved his tank to higher ground, I visited daily to sneak a drink,

Missing Our Rommate

dunk my nose, and yes, I even tried to swim. Several times. Again, I'm very confused about why Mom would have put such a small swimming spot inside our home. Okay, okay, so she told me it was a private swimming hole just for Chiffon. But really, you tell me; who wants to swim alone? A fella needs company when he wants to kick up his heels, er, fins.

Oliver and I want to thank Chiffon for his countless hours of entertainment. Despite how nutty it seemed, having a fish to watch turned out to be a terrific form of mental activity for both of us. We enjoyed trying to figure out what he was doing in there, tried to communicate (Clearly that didn't work) and even tried to join him. Well, I did, anyway. Oliver was sort of woosie on that idea; he's not a huge fan of swimming, although he's very good at it, even though he's not fast at all. No canine Olympic swimming medals for Oliver.

We hope Chiffon locates Xena at the Rainbow Bridge and the two of them will be able to swim together. Xena loves having someone in the pool with her. That's my wish for Chiffon. We'll miss you little buddy. Swim swiftly!

If you would like to include your lost pet in our Rainbow Bridge Memorial, we'd love to add him to our play group. Just send a photo and short sentiment along with his name and whatever information you'd like shared to AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Place "Rainbow Bridge Memorial" in the Subject Line. I'll notify you when your best friend has joined the group.