Lewis McLeod

Lewis has always been our special little guy. He and Kelly first met at a doggy daycare where she worked and he was being fostered. That's where he fell in love with her and she fell in love with him. The day after her family's dog passed away, Lewis could tell she was hurting and climbed up into her lap and gave her so many kisses. That moment showed his empathetic heart and was the moment they chose each other. His younger sister Simone was also being fostered there and would flop on top of him, with her spindly long legs going everywhere. We'd say that she was the wings to his airplane.

Lewis was the happiest little guy, always greeting everyone with a wagging tail, a big smile, and plenty of kisses. We said he has a lick factory that was always in overproduction. When we were out in public with him, he'd always put on a show, with his cutest eyes on and posing with his paws. He would even sit up like a prairie dog, all on his own (usually as a ploy to get food)! He was our little extrovert, who always wanted to say hi to everyone on walks and especially loved kids.

One of his best days was at the Renaissance Faire, where he got attention and pets everywhere he went! He even won second place in the costume contest where he was the noble unicorn steed for a ragdoll princess!

Another really special day was our wedding day. Kelly always imagined him as our ring bearer and we made that happen! Lewis got a custom-made tuxedo that matched Michael's, and he and Simone walked down the aisle!

At home, Lewis's absolute favorite thing was his squeaky toys. He would pop them like none other, and we'd judge new toys by their "SPD", squeakers per dollar! The toys that he wasn't able to pop would become his favorites, and he'd carry them around the house with him. His hedgehogs (hedgies!) were especially his favorites. He would play a little game where he'd purposely drop or push a toy off the couch, so you'd throw it back to him to catch!

He also loved being cozy more than anything and would burrow himself under blankets with only his snout sticking out. He may have gotten sat on a couple times, but that's Michael's fault for not checking first. Lewis also had a whole wardrobe of sweaters and coats to keep him warm, along with a Halloween costume for every year! He loved being a fashionista!

Even though he was our best boy, he still had a naughty side! He was quite the daring escape artist. If a door was left open, he would slip his way through and just start bounding away! When you'd chase him, he'd look back like "Bet you can't catch me!" then bounce like a bunny away! One time he got out, the only way my sister caught him was by throwing a container of hummus towards him like a Frisbee, then scooping him up while he was distracted. Another naughty moment was when he was left inside with half a Chipotle burrito, since I was convinced he wouldn't do anything. Instead, when we came back in, the burrito was gone but Lewis was lying on the floor just as round as one!

A few more things we loved about him, in no particular order:

· His right paw was his sock paw, bright white with brown freckles! But he was left-pawed, just like Kelly.

· If he wanted something, he would stare and growl at it until he got it (which was sometimes awkward on walks when he wanted attention!)

· If a ladybug was flying around in this house, he'd get his "bug face" on, an intensely focused stare, and he'd bark and cry at it until Michael got it out of the house

· He had a sweet tooth and would always perk up when something sweet came out. One time he tried getting into the Halloween candy, so we started saying "BooBoo, no more candy!"

· He loved Christmas and would get so excited at opening gifts! We would wrap up all his toys for him, and he’d get to paw and tear the wrapping paper up!

· He’d lay down sometimes with both his back legs pointed straight behind him, and we’d call him “frog dog” when he’d do this! We’d also scritch his back leg if he was lying on his side, and call him a “chickie leg dog”

· When Kelly first had Lewis, he would come with her sometimes to work at the Children’s Theater Company. If the show was on the black box stage, before the crowds arrived, they would close the doors and let him run all about the theater like a crazy boy!

As he crossed the rainbow bridge, we're sure he's now surrounded by hedgies, eating all the sweet treats, and bounding endlessly to his heart’s desire. We love him so much more than words can say, and he's taken a piece of our heart with him.