I´m mourning a beloved companion who passed away a few days ago. He was a great guy. He Was always there for me and for everyone else in the flock. The grief is no less, whether you mourn a person or in my case a beloved animal. My beloved Gubbe (means old man in Swedish). He got this name because when I met him he was already old.
He came limping towards me in Girne car park on a December day about 3 1/2 years ago. He probably knew what a soft hearted person I was. I immediately took him to the vet as he could barely walk.
Veterinary Pertev recognized the dog and said, “Wow, a Turk owned him before and he is about 8-10 years old! He suffers from artrosis and has lived on the street for a long time.”
Since I already had 9 dogs, I could not bring home another one and therefore I drove him back where I found him, but before that I put out food and water for him.
Suddenly, and without my knowledge, he was already in my minivan. To this day I still don´t know how it happened, but he chose me. He could, of course, come home with me…
He sat so nicely in the back and looked out the window as if he had done nothing else in his life. Now it was exciting, how would he get accepted among the others in the herd? I did not have time to think about that (as usual with me; act first and think after).
I took him out of the bus and he walked obediently on the leash next to me. I let him lose in the garden then I took out one dog after another so that they could greet him. He was so good when he greeted the dogs one by one and he was instantly accepted. Piece of cake.
After his experience on the street Gubben knew how the “dog code” worked, which I did not know…
My Gubben was very special. Humble and protective against those he loved but a real killer against those he disliked. With one eye lid hanging and about 35 kg heavy he didn´t look kind, but on the inside he had a very warm heart and was very smart.
To my land lady, of 82 years old and her husband, Gubben was a true gentleman. He always walked very gently beside her up the stairs and even when she came out on the terrace he would sit still and just be supportive of her.
He loved my landlord’s husband and he would wait all day inside the gate for them to come home from their swim. When he looked up at him, his eyes expressed love and warmth, and he often lay next to his feet just to exist, where Gubben looked so content.
My friend Benny Velivet once slept over a few nights and Gubben slept next to him on a 105 cm bed. They became best friends for life! It wasn’t very benificial for Benny because Gubben hated cats!
Every morning when I fed the wild cats, he stood at the grid and barked. Even when it came to people he did not like it so he jumped around and acted mad.
When he wanted to play he could nip at your feet, which was not always nice!
His lovely nose, that came puffing under my arm when he wanted to cuddle (and that he did often), is one of many things that I miss. He loved squeaky toys and at the end I bought a big plastic hamburger that he played with for about 10 seconds before he “killed” it. It was the last toy he ever played with.
The old man chose what he liked and did not. Girls were okay, but he did not accept every man!
The loss is so great I can not explain the feeling.
Rest in peace Gubben, my dear friend.
Gubben, Bebek and Tess
