A Boy in a Dog Suit

Thirteen years ago, my mom took my family to a farm outside of Warwick, Maryland for a "surprise." The house on the farm had dirt floors and was in poor condition to say the least. As we arrived, a large, black puppy greeted us. My mom had visited the farm to care for a hospice patient. The family told her that the puppy was left on the farm when the owner realized it was part Great Dane and could no longer afford to feed it. My mom was in love with the puppy, but wanted to consult with the family first.

The puppy was large for his age. He had wise yellow eyes. His ears were floppy. Looking at him, you could tell how amazingly smart he was and how he just knew that he belonged to us. We put the dog in the car with us and was later named Franque.

Franque grew very quickly. His ears stayed pretty floppy, but when he was excited they would stand up. Franque loved to fetch sticks, swim in the Bay, play with the kids, but most of all, Franque loved to work. Every day (that he could) he visited hospice patients and he absolutely loved it. Franque was fiercely loyal. He slept with my mother every night. Franque was the smartest dog that I have ever met. I am convinced that he understood almost all human language and was insulted when referred to as a dog. He was very tolerant. He dealt with tons of kids playing with him. Once, an unruly cousin injured his tail by pulling it. He merely yelped and ran away.

Recently, Franque has started to really show his age. For the past five years or so, he has been turning white. In the past year, he has had "dog dementia." At times, he is not sure where he is and needs constant reassurance. A few weeks ago, Franque suffered an inner ear infection. He was unable to stand on his own and was very much weakened. He stayed at the vet and was recovering until today. Today, Franque was unable to stand or take care of himself and had to be put to sleep.

Franque has been through so much with my family. He has been a comfort in times of stress. He has been a protector and definitely a necessary member of the family. Franque and my mother shared a bond stronger than I have ever seen between an animal and a person. They have never been separated for more than a week (for vacations, etc). To say that Franque will be missed does not come close to expressing our sentiments.

Franque Vitulli

1997 - 2010