July 29, 2005

A Tribute to Tango

Statistics say that the majority of us have some sort of pet -- dogs and cats being the most popular. And every year, the ridiculous amounts of moola we spend on our pets rises. Know why?

WE LOVE OUR PETS!

Pet-love is, of course, so much better than human love. Our pets don't care what we look like, sound like or smell like. In fact, I get the impression that, the worse I smell, the more Daisy loves me. Our pets don't care if our career isn't a huge success, or if we can't afford the fancy kibble. They don't care if we spend hours on the computer while eating cold lasagna for dinner.

So it is any wonder that, while the sight of Husband's dirty boxers hanging on the back of the bathroom door sends me into hysterics, I don't think twice about picking up Daisy's poop?

Of course not.

Now do me a favor. Think about your pet for a minute and how much you love him/her. Now imagine how much closer you'd be if you got to bring your pet to work and spent 24/7 with him/her.

NOW imagine how you'd feel if your pet actually worked WITH you, always had your back, and, indeed, had saved your life a few times.

Can you even begin to imagine that kind of relationship? That kind of love? I have to admit -- as much as I adore Daisy, as much as she's a part of my life -- I can't imagine the kind of bond between a police officer and his canine partner.

And such is the bond between J and Tango.

Unfortunately, a few days ago, J had to make the horrible decision to have Tango, his 11 year old German Shepherd, put to sleep. He was suffering from bladder cancer and bone cancer in his neck. But despite the suffering, and the knowledge that you have the power to stop it, it's a crappy decision for anyone to be faced with. And I commend the bravery and selflessness it took J to give Tango lasting peace, even at the price of his own terrible grief.

Not only was Tango incredibly handsome and a hit with the bitches, he was fearless and enthusiastic about getting the "bad guys" and making his "yard" a better place.

He had the STRONGEST BITE of any dog the trainers had ever worked with. Some of them even refused to play the "bad guy" in Tango's training sessions because Tango could BITE THROUGH all the padding that kept them safe from the other canine cops.

Tango's nose was amazing, too. He could find bombs, bad guys, drugs, and -- my personal favorite -- he could go into a field or forest and find whatever had been put there most recently. Meaning he could find the murder weapon or the shoe or the freshly buried evidence among the litter. I think that's just amazing.

His nose was also responsible for the LARGEST DRUG FIND EVER in the state of Illinois. Put THAT in your crack pipe and smoke it, baby!

But I think my favorite Tango stories are the ones where he made the hard-ass gang-bangers cry. BWAAAAAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

And then Tango would visit and play like a puppy with Daisy. And for that reason, he was her favorite, of all her doggie-cousins.

I guess I would say that Tango lived the kind of life most humans would love to lead. He had a wonderful, stable family who was always there for him. He had a job he excelled at and loved to do. He was respected and admired by his peers, and loved by everyone who knew him.

Who wouldn't want a life like that? Tango was the definition of "Lucky Dog," and we were lucky to have him. As a rule, canine cops do not socialize much, so I'm very honored to have been allowed to be part of his life.

He will be deeply, deeply missed.

Posted on July 29, 2005 09:56 AM

Comments

Posted by: Sun Rider at July 29, 2005 12:54 PM

Posted by: Queen of Ass at July 29, 2005 12:58 PM

Posted by: Sun Rider at July 29, 2005 02:29 PM

Posted by: Homidus Corax Celticus at July 29, 2005 06:00 PM

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