05/04/2025
I had to say goodbye to my Chicko yesterday. She was 15 years old. Many of you have met her over the years and know what a special little soul she was.
Chicko came to me in an unexpected way. My friend Jo asked me to look after her miniature poodle while she traveled overseas about 13 years ago. Jo was living with a brain tumor at the time, and before she left, she asked what I’d want to happen to Chicko if she didn’t make it. I told her I’d love to keep her. Jo passed away in 2015 at just 45 years old, and Chicko has been with me ever since.
These past years, Chicko became so much more than just my dog. She was my link to Jo, carrying her spirit in so many little ways. And then she found her own purpose as a therapy dog. It amazed me how this small poodle could walk into a room and somehow know exactly who needed her most. During these therapy visits, people would always ask about her, and I’d share Jo’s story - her courage, her laughter, how fully she lived despite everything.
Through Chicko, hundreds of people who never met Jo got to hear about her. It feels like this little dog had a mission all along.
I miss her terribly today. The house is too quiet. But I find some peace thinking that maybe, in some way, Jo and Chicko are together again.
Thank you to everyone who loved her too.
