2008-11-15 - 7:42 p.m. Brighton Beach Wechslarino 2002 - 2008 We named him after our favorite place in Brooklyn, and he did in fact resemble a stretch of slightly sullied urban sand; when he ran on his namesake beach, he blended right in, just a blur of flapping ears and flashing, intelligent eyes. He was lively and weirdly articulate, with a different bark for every situation, and a complex array of facial expressions. He always seemed just one neuron short of actually being able to speak, or maybe do calculus, and he mastered tricks-- "bunny rabbit"! "namaste"!--almost instantly. He inspired many, many songs, including an ever-unfolding hip-hop epic called "What's the Puppy Up To?" And of course, he was beautiful. He made our apartment in Sunset Park a home, and he made our new marriage a family. This is an embarrassing cliche, but it's true--he taught me profound things about love and connection that I never knew before. I loved that dog as much as I've loved anyone. And I can't speak for Dave, but I suspect that he and Brighton were soul mates. Brighton suffered from a variety of chronic ailments, and we knew that his time on earth would probably be limited. This makes it no less heart-wrenching to report that, due to a combination of untreatable health problems, Brighton was put to sleep today, November 15. I'm wracked with grief, and Dave is, too. But I am also deeply grateful for the time I got to spend with him. Rest in peace, puppy. thoughts? (10 comments so far) previous - next blog archive contact