Baron Baciball

Baron Baciball came to our family at 3 months old. My sister and her boyfriend went all the way to Buffalo, NY, for this "little monster" and it was the best thing that happened to all of us. Over the years, he brought so much laughter and joy into our lives, with his personality, that at times, was almost human. True to his breed, he was extremely loyal, and he would only allow immediate family in his presence, so he never had any interaction with people other than his owners, gaining him the nickname "Cujo" by many. Unfortunately, no one else could ever see what he really was. To us, he was a "mush" that wanted to be kissed and loved to no end. Baci shared a special relationship with each member of the family. He had his master who he loved his walks and car rides with, he had his Mommy to discipline him and sleep with every night, he had his Grandma & Grandpa to take care of him, feed him and give him his medicines and he had me as his best friend and playmate. He loved us all in different ways but let us all spoil him the same.

ChubbyEven as an adult dog, he never lost the playfulness of his days as a puppy, even when he started to show signs of illness, with fevers and bouts of swollen hock syndrome. We don't know when he actually got sick, but he did show periodic signs for a long while before being diagnosed with amyloidosis and being given a month or so to live. Needless to say, we were devastated and heartbroken. Baci was a beautiful, seemingly healthy dog that out of nowhere were told was dying. Luckily, that was not the case and Baci continued on being the fresh & frisky dog that he was. We hoped the vets were wrong with the diagnosis because he seemed fine and showed no signs of illness or pain. It wasn't until a year or so later that he suddenly stopped eating and declined rapidly. We celebrated his 7th birthday with his special dog bone cake and the next day he had to be put to sleep because his symptoms worsened, despite all of our efforts to help him, and he was in extreme pain . Despite how heart wrenching it was, we knew it was the best for my Baci. But he did not cross the Rainbow Bridge alone, he had all of our love with him and he still does. He had a short life but the time he did have, he had a wonderful life with family who adored him. There's not a day that goes by that we don't wish he was still with us or a morning that goes by that I don't wish I was awakened by Baci's everyday routine of jumping on my bed for my good morning kisses, putting his both arms around my neck, laying on top of me and kissing me until I couldn't breathe. He loved all of us so much and we loved him just the same. We have videos and albums full of Baci but what we remember him most for is all of the happiness, love and laughter he brought into our lives. He was my favorite thing in the world and we all miss him dearly.

- Loriana Larino