02/08/2022
In February of 2007, I held a day old pug in my hands, and he yawned, and had a flip-top head, and I named him Wallace, a companion to my other doggie, Gromit. He came home on April Fool's Day that year, and promptly pooped in his dog carrier on the way home. As a bookend, yesterday before we went to the vet for the last time, he pooped in a brand new work shoe belonging to my husband. (sigh/giggle)
Over the years he cost well into 5 figures in surgery bills for bladder stones, bad eyes, bad teeth, cancerous tumors, and general Pug-ness. He lived for Kitty Roca fresh from the box, and would spend hours frantically tearing apart tennis balls. In his earlier days, he knew which toy to fetch on command - you could tell him to get his bunny or his rat or his ball, and he would go get the toy you mentioned. But when told to sit, he would panic and sit, offer you his paw, then lay down and bark. He never really got the hang of tricks.
He loved babies and kids and despite being terrible at sitting still, when my husband's grandfather was older Wallace would sit on his lap and just take pets for hours. He was so, so good with people, just sweet natured and not an enemy in the world. As he got older and blind and deaf, our senior rescue Piglet became his caregiver and it was so, so sweet to watch.
He was gross and senile and useless and so clueless and happy and loving. I knew his time was coming - but while we were in Hawaii his condition worsened. When I came home to him I knew it was his time. He, true to his personality that had kept me smiling for 15 years, smiled and wagged his tail all the way to the vet and even wagged his tail FOR the vet. He loved everyone, right till his last breath.
Wallace, Wallaby Jones, Walligator, Mister Gator, Wallapeeps, Mister Peeps-a-million, Wallieguy. He wasn't a great dog per say, but he was very much a goodest boy and I miss him terribly already. 2.2.2007-2.7.2022
He will live on forever on the internet, the famous Pug in the Tulips. Shared by George Takei, front page of the Chive, used in countless memes, even on display at the Oregon Humane Society. It's sort of lovely that this little disaster I loved so much brought so many smiles to so many people around the world. He never even knew it, he was just happy to be here.
