It's getting closer to almost a whole year without my big guy, and every night I've been lying awake, missing him. My eyes keep getting swollen from crying myself to sleep.
Most people think that I'm stupid for being so distraught still, over a dog that I had to PTS in September..but they didn't know him. I know I am new to this forum, so let me allow you to get to know Noodles, as I knew him. My heart dog, and the reason I am, who I am today.
I moved in with my fiance on my 18th birthday, December 30th. It was tough for me to find a job out here, so for a couple of months I was really lonely, spent most of my days cleaning our apartment..or on the phone with my cousins who lived in Virginia. I didn't know anyone out here, and I'd lost touch with any of my highschool friends, whom I'd never really considered friends anyway. My best friend really hurt me a couple weeks after I'd moved out. We'd grown up together, and all of a sudden I had no one. My family was angry at me for leaving when I did, and I learned everything the hard way. Sure, I grew from it..but those months were awful lonely..and depressing.
On a really cold day in February, my fiance decided that I could..and needed to have a dog.. I was excited, and hurried onto Petfinder immediately. None of the dogs in our humane society really jumped out at me, even though I'm sure I could have fallen in love with one of them. I had no idea Petfinder even had classified ads, till I stumbled upon a link. I read and read..and finally saw an ad for a six year old, chinese shar pei. I'm a sucker for smooshy faces, so I kept reading..and it turned out that he lived within 10 minutes from us! I called the lady, and we set up a meeting, but she demanded that she meet with me at my place. I thought maybe she was just doing a home check and making sure everything was good. When I finally got the knock on my door, I was shocked to hear her ask me to come get Noodles from her car. One of her daughters pulled out this scrawny little black and tan dog..with wounds on his face and legs and handed me the leash. I was appauled..I went to pet him and he shyed from my hand. I knew something was up. She let me know right away that he didn't like men, and asked me if I still wanted him. Of course I said yes..and she handed me a bag of treats and left. Not one of them said goodbye to him..and I think that almost broke my heart more than the wounds. Kids..all under 13..and not one of them was bothered by giving up their dog. His real name was Nudo, but I decided he was going to leave that life behind, and renamed him Noodles.
I spent hours on the floor, gaining his trust.. Talking to him, and letting him know I'd never let him hurt again. We took him to the vet the next day, and he was emaciated, no wrinkles on his little pei body, his fur was so oily and falling out from malnutrition..burn wounds on his legs from what looked like cigars and cigarettes. Open wounds on his face.. I was so distraught..I just held him..and promised him justice..which was soon to come. I filed a report against the previous owners, took pictures for evidence, and followed up with every court date. They had 2 other dogs which were removed from the home, and both had to do 120 hours of community service with the local animal shelter.
Below is what he looked like a couple days later..his spine is clearly seen as well as his ribs..
I spent every day nursing him back into a 'normal dog'..a normal lifestyle, and lots of oatmeal baths..and plenty of good meals..and a ton of love. I was so strongly attached to my Noodles. I remember we threw a huge cook-out and invited all of our friends who met him when we first got home, in honor of him getting some of his wrinkles back. He went everywhere I did..
We were out on a normal walk one day.. My neighborhood isn't the best, mind you..but I never thought anyone would really bother me.. Well, Noodles made sure no one would. I was approached by a man, late on a Thursday evening..probably around 8 or so. He told me he wanted to 'talk to me'.. Noodles started growling and snarling, showing his teeth and getting low to the ground.. and the man backed away from me..let me know I had a good dog..and we hurried home. Noodles quite possibly saved my life that night..
I was pregnant when we got Noodles, which is another reason I think he was so protective of me..He wouldn't allow anyone other than my fiance near me while I was sleeping. I actually woke up one morning to my fiance's mother cornered bc she snuck in to grab the phone! We all had a good laugh about that. But the day I lost my baby, Noodles was right there..he knew before I did..he kept pressing his nose to my belly and wimpering..and I couldn't figure out why..later on that day I was in so much pain that I couldn't move and he stayed by my side..even when my fiance came home and left the door wide open, which Noodz usually would've ran out of..he stayed right next to me..and I'll never forget that.. We made a promise to protect eachother and he lived up to it fully.
A couple months after, my Noodles got extremely sick..he was vomiting everywhere, along with diarrhea. He wouldn't eat anything, not even his boiled chicken and rice..and the pepto wouldn't even help. He couldn't even hold down water. We rushed him to the vet again, and found out that he'd become a victim of Shar Pei Fever, or swollen hocks syndrome. Something we could have prevented if we'd just read up on the breed further. We always passed off his limping on his hind legs as some sort of arthritis, since we were never really sure how old he was and couldn't trust anything his old owners had said. His kidneys had completely shut down, and we had to make the hardest decision of our lives..to have him PTS.. I stayed with him through it all, I owed it to him, and for the last time..his fur caught every single one of my tears.
I'll never forget anything about him..the way his fur smelled..those tiny..but so soft ears that were pinned to his head..which made me wonder how on earth he ever even heard anything..the way he was so tripped out over the telephone ringing..that when it did, he just stared at it..like you would at an alien..how he always did 'border patrol' at the dog park..and made sure everything had his scent! But most of all, he taught me how to never take anything for granted because you never know when you can lose it..and when it's gone..it's never really gone..just because you can't physically touch it..you'll always have it's memories. My boy meant the world to me, and it killed me to lose him.. I can't wait to meet him at the bridge when it's my turn..
My boy..being his lazy..and much more chunky self. =]
RIP Noodles..Gone, but never forgotten.
Don't let anyone tell you it's too long to still be grieving. Those people obviously don't understand the human/animal bond some of us are lucky to have. You were one of those people who had it. *hugs*
He was a BEAUTIFUL dog too!
He was a beautiful unique boy. You can never greive too much. My mom used to say "you're being ridiculous it was just a dog" everytime I was upset over my lost dogs, she's wrong. To her and many other people dogs are just that, dogs but to people like you and me they are so much more. Every now and then I'll have one of 'those days' where I can't get my mind off of my old girl. Noodles was a great guy and I'm sure he's watching over you right now, making sure no more strange men approach you! 
