One “Boss” per lifetime

I read, through teary eyes, Amy Rowling’s farewell to her family friend Bandit in the recent pet issue of your publication [“A Family Farewell: Saying Goodbye to Bandit,” Commentary, Jan. 23].

It was almost a perfect reenactment of my farewell to our family friend “Boss” (named after columnist Mike Royko’s biography, Boss, a book about Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago).

That was almost 10 years ago, when Boss was about 13 years old and hemorrhaging to death, [and] I was forced to euthanize him.

Boss was just a mongrel puppy with an oversized head, given to us by a friend who removed him from a home where he was mistreated. He was primarily golden retriever, with splashes of Border collie and German shepherd. He looked like a red-coated golden retriever.

He was fiercely protective of family and property and once attacked a huge raccoon from Lincoln Park that had the audacity to raid our garbage can on our second-floor back porch. Boss had the raccoon on its back—with his four paws holding down the raccoon’s—biting the devil out of him. When I finally pulled him off, he had not a scratch on him. And the poor raccoon was so scared he relieved himself on the porch and took 20 minutes to recover before scampering home.

True to my word, after Boss, I have never been able to bring another dog into my life. I regret that decision because of the pleasure I have missed by the company of such a companion, especially at my age and following the death of my wife. Having a dog would help make my life much easier.

— Harry William Jell Jr.
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

5 thoughts on “One “Boss” per lifetime

  1. Traveleh

    Yall got me thinking about Ol’ Yeller. I cried at the end of that movie. My condolences.

  2. quotequeen

    I saw a human skull the other day. There was an inscription below it: ‘Look long and hard at me, for I was once as you are and you will soon be as I am.’
    ~ Unknown

  3. moontime

    Though a touching story, I don’t understand why you would deprive yourself of another dog’s love. Wouldn’t Boss want you to be happy? I will always have animals in my life.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.