Obituaries

Multum in parvo. A lot in a little. These are the words used to describe the pug breed. If you are familiar with pugs, they are a lot of dog in a little package. In 2010, when Jason and I decided to add a second dog to our household, but down-size from our lab-pointer mix, the only small breed we both could agree on was the pug. Under twenty pounds, but still sporty enough not to be a total affront to the primary dog walker’s masculinity.

Jason and I picked up our six-week-old glowworm-shaped pug puppy on January 1, 2011 on a sixteen hour trek home from Upstate New York to Georgia. We had worked a fine-dining gig the night before (New Year’s Eve) to pay the breeder $400 for her. My dogs’ names are usually indicative of the chapter of life in which I adopted them. At the time I was an Arabic linguist in the Navy, so we named her Layla, which means born at night or dark lady. The name turned out to be quite fitting because Layla was notorious for waking up before sunrise, being my constant shadow, and annoying other dogs with her gremlin-like stare.

Layla was the first puppy we adopted together, so she was treated very much like a first-born child where the expectations are higher and the follow-through better. Jason not only taught her basic obedience, but a half dozen tricks or so, from balancing treats on her face to giving us high-fives to leaping like a parkour athlete into my arms. However, we soon found her true passion was running.

If I could only choose two adjectives to describe Layla’s personality, it would be heart and stubbornness. Both qualities of exceptional athletes. However, the athlete cards are stacked against pugs. They possess cobbly bodies with short legs and smooshed faces which make breathing twice as challenging. Layla was a Velcro pug, meaning she was glued to your heel at all times. If both of our pugs carried lifetime odometers, Layla’s would read twice the mileage. If you’re on the move, she’s right there with you. Keeping pace with her person on a run was a natural extension of this companion dog loyalty.

In her formative years, she would run up to five miles with Jason on the Augusta canal trail, always when the weather was cool or after sunset to prevent overheating due to her smooshed face. In 2017, we entered her in the open small dog category at Doxie Derby, a dog race fundraiser benefitting the Aiken Animal Shelter complete with starting gates. As the clear long shot, race name See-A-Biscuit, she proceeded to smoke the competition down the racetrack to the amazement of the announcer and the audience. Absolutely nothing was getting between her and the treat I was holding at the finish line. Her currency was pretty simple.

However, Layla’s greatest achievement was getting Jason ready for the Murph Challenge on Memorial Day when the world shut down in 2020. By the end of training, they were running three hilly miles through the neighborhood at an eight-minute pace. Leading the way with her ears pinned back in rapt focus, Layla took her training responsibilities very seriously. Like a true distance runner, she even pooped without breaking stride. She was nine and half years old. Shortly after, she was reluctantly eased into retirement. In her mind, better to wear out than to rust out.

The vet once told me Layla had an exceptionally strong heart for a dog her size. I’m not surprised. Pugs love to love and be loved in return. One of the greatest sorrows of life is that our cherished pets only live for a mere fraction of it. One of the greatest gifts is we have the power to take away their suffering when it is time. On Friday evening, we determined it was Layla’s time to cross over the rainbow bridge.

With the assistance of Dr. James at Heron’s Crossing, Layla peacefully passed laying on her favorite spot on the couch, where we loved to snuggle to the soothing sounds of British programming, surrounded by her human and dog family. She was thirteen and a half. My shadow until the end. I’m pretty sure she sprinted into doggie heaven, announced her arrival, and has been waking everyone up early ever since.

Run free again, baby. Run like I know that big pug heart can. I’ll see you again one day. I’ll need my Velcro pug in Heaven.

“Like a fool, I fell in love with you
You turned my whole world upside down,
Layla…
You’ve got me on my knees, Layla
I'm begging, darling, please, Layla
Darling, won't you ease my worried mind?”