He was wrongly convicted and jailed and though he was greatly afraid for his fate he never lost heart.

Many say that I rescued him in how I fought for his release but truthfully it was he who rescued me. He opened my eyes to a world he still recognized as beautiful after I’d long since given up on it and he opened my heart to love after a lifetime of it being closed.

He taught me that to hold onto grudges is pointless and only serves to diminish real happiness. He showed me by his very being that in living there is untold joy to be discovered.

He never questioned that which he had no control over and he just sort of sailed through the days as each one came with whatever it might bring. He never railed at the weather or cared much if dinner was late and he always appreciated a good cookie.

He was a simple soul and wise in ways I’ve yet to fully understand. He had no real money of his own and yet wanted for nothing and counted himself rich in the gift of living.

His name was Chuck although it never suited him and I called him Chicho. He was a tubby, bubbly, bouncy white Chihuahua who passed peacefully in his sleep during the overnight hours of July 2, 2010.

He was the little prince of Irving House…the Chihuahua with a lion’s heart.