Paul’s Beloved Bennie Has Passed Away

A sad note this morning, in an eloquent email sent out by my pal Joe O’Rourke. My cousin Paul’s beloved black lab Bennie was struck and killed by a car last night, and later buried in Paul’s yard, with the help of Paul’s friends Bill and Joe.

Bennie has been affixed to Paul’s hip since he was born about seven years ago. He was a sweet black lab with a playful streak, whose life improved markedly when Paul adopted our dog Ruby. The two dogs, one a big hunk of black, the other a smaller, spritely tan, would accompany Paul every where and were a big part of his universe. They brought much joy to his life, the job of dogs, and why they are so beloved by humans everwhere.

Like people, dogs become so familiar and such a part of our lives that to lose one suddenly is hard. I remember well the day I got a call that my little Beagle puppy George had died on the road, I put my head down on my desk at the newspaper and wept.

Goodbye Bennie, and Paul, I feel for ya. Sad news indeed.