Last Sunday (25. Juni 2023), Troy the senior chihuahua crossed the rainbow bridge, reuniting with his mom, Britney, and his dad, Beni. At the age of 11, he was the last of my original pack.

Troy had been unwell for nearly a month, with his condition fluctuating. Despite others urging me to let go, I held onto hope that treatment would pull him through. The vet visited every 2-3 days to monitor his progress. However, everything changed last Saturday when I witnessed the vet attempting to feed him. By that point, Troy had not eaten for two days and had received infusions instead. Seeing him suffer, I whispered that he could rest if he wished. Surprisingly, he ate a little and seemed to improve. He slept next to me that night, appearing fine when I had to leave for the airport on Sunday morning. I bid him farewell, letting him know it was okay to drift off to sleep. He gazed at me, his familiar self.

Later in the afternoon, while I was in Singapore, Amara called with the news that Troy had peacefully passed away in his sleep. He waited to go until after I left, sparing me from witnessing his final moments.

Troy was a shy Chihuahua who always wanted to be near me. He followed me everywhere, even when I went to the bathroom. Perhaps because he was the runt of the litters, he didn’t enjoy walking, so I would often carry him in a bag while walking the other dogs. I took him with me almost everywhere I could, including to work. In the last few weeks, I even brought him along to visit nine churches (to The Grotto of Maria) and to a Hindu shrine of worship in Bantul. He seemed to enjoy these outings, as I hadn’t been able to take him with me much due to the pandemic. His loyalty knew no bounds, and he seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to my moods. Troy’s presence in my life was incredibly special. I will truly miss him.

Goodbye, Troy. Until we meet again.