joe tucking into his big ass bone from grandfather

injured joe swimming in the sea

family camp

timothy and i when we first brought him home.

joe at obedience training school and hideous me. 

joe as a pup

checking out or rather plotting how to destroy the new grass which he did succeed after years of digging and peeing.

being a natural swimmer and that's the inflatable boat we had!

anyone who wants to get a dog (in particular labrador retrievers or any pet actually) should read MARLEY ANE ME by john grogan. it's such a heartwarming and moving read that will touch your heart about life and love with the world's worst dog. marley turned out to be not the very ideal lab one would dream of. but his unwavering loyalty and selflessness makes up for it. 

"marley quickly grew into an uncontrollable ninety-seven pound steamroller of a labrador retriever. expelled from obedience school, even the tranquilisers prescribed by the vet couldn't stop him. yet through the chaos and hilarity he won hearts and remained a steadfast model of devotion to his family, even when they were at their wits' end. unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms."

1st october 1995 was double happiness day. not only was it children's day= holiday! but it was the day we bought our first dog, a labrador retriever called joe tan. he was almost every bit like marley, uncontrollable, full of energy like the energizer bunny, insatiable hunger, endless mischiefs, number one escapee etc.  i recall the million times we had to prowl the streets when someone left the gate opened, the posters we had to put up, the disappointment when he failed obedience school twice, the times when we had to dig into his mouth to retrieve plastic bags and what not. he practically devoured anything quite edible, be it offerings to the god by the road or scraps he chanced upon on his walks, takeaway food i was holding in the PLASTIC BAG. 

everything went in, including how he destroyed my forever friends bear and i got so pissed my dad bought me a few more. my first havianas, socks, shoes, basically anything that he could grab with his mouth and run away. haha..no wonder he had the most canes in the house. 

though no where near those show pedigree dogs, he still had his fair share of fans, especially my grandfather and mother. my grand father used to bring bones from soup just for him and that would make he super exhilarated. the time when we had a family camping trip and he was attacked by a stray dog. my dad even twisted the broom from chasing off the assailant, as it wouldn't let go of joe. even though he was bitten and bleeding from the neck, he didn't give a hoot about it and continued his own biz of sniffing the area out and swimming in the sea. 

then his health started to spiral downwards. he turned blind and had cancer.(how ironic is it when labs are usually the choice to lead the blind) nevertheless he remained positive and full of spirit, and his inclination for food never dwindled a single bit. he went through several minor operations to deter the cancer's growth but was advised against full surgery due to his age. 

then the day came. the day before my biophysical chemistry paper (my worse subject, it's literally physics). he was weaker than usual and retching. i remembered telling him to hang on before i left for school. my parents wanted to keep him at home by their side and wait-and-see but his condition had worsened hence while at school, they called to say they were bringing him in (to the vet). then we received the call from the vet that night. the very dreaded call to say he retched and collapsed. just like that. gone. no one by his side during his final moments. all he had was the cold metal cage. sigh. we rushed down and mourned  and arranged for a private cremation. at least that's the best parting gift he deserved. 

till this day i regret why weren't anyone of us by his side. my mother was devastated. i think no other dog can replace joe's silly antics in her heart. and therefore we haven't got another dog. 

having experienced the whole cycle of life and death, all i would say is please think a gazillion times before about buying a dog. as cliche as it sounds like but it's really a lifetime commitment. it aint like buying a fish or hamster with a short life span. this is the whole package. so don't make any rash decision to shell out money for that cute doggy by the window. 

p/s: i think he blessed me with a B- for my paper :) i thought i would fail my paper since it was physics and moreover i didn't have mood to study. well at least he's got his eyesight and health back now in doggy heaven! i bet he's having a sumptuous buffet now.