Mort the Mighty

Born to Chico (father) and Oreo (mother) on June 5th, 2005 he came by his evil chihuahua personality honestly. His parents were both miserable when you weren’t a member of the pack.

When my Auntie Corina placed this tiny black ball of fluff in my hands, it was love at first sight. He wasn’t ready to come home yet though, so I had to wait…

We were inseparable from the very beginning. I was his, and he was mine. He may have been tiny, but he was my familiar, my protector. He was so pudgy when he was a pup, it’s hard to imagine him turning out to be so slim for the rest of his life.

He came into my life at just the right time. I was in a very unhappy relationship and had managed to push away or lose most of my friends. Mort was my child, my heart, my saviour. Because of him, because I couldn’t leave him, he literally saved my life.

We went everywhere together because he was tiny enough to fit in a purse. He was my shadow, my official potty inspector, and my protector. When that toxic relationship finally ended, that tiny little soul was so worried about me, he ended up slipping between legs, unnoticed and made a journey over several busy roadways without getting run over by a car… he was picked up by some kind soul and turned into the bylaw folks.

I was frantic! Luckily the lovely lady that clipped his nails recognized him at the pound and contacted my Aunt. My bestie was changing the locks on the house when he escaped and I was out on an errand with my Ex when Mort slipped out. I had no idea he was missing until I got home and there was no Mort.

By the time I found out (and almost fainted from the stress) it was close to closing time at the pound. There was no way I could leave him there overnight in jail. I rushed there to pay his bail and pick him up. He was microchipped on the spot! He was also smothered in kisses and cuddles. It was a miracle he made it to where he did without getting killed!

Many Months later, Momma met another fella. Mort was not amused. “Look at the last guy you dated Momma – you have terrible taste in men. I will protect you from him!” See Mort had me all to himself, he was my main man and he wasn’t going to have it any other way. He had the same spot on the bed for 4 years now and he wasn’t going to give it up.

He couldn’t push that new guy out of the bed no matter how hard he tried. He was always a smart little guy though so he figures out if he peed on that guy’s pillow, just a little bit, that should get rid of him. He wont want to sleep on pissy pillows!

Mort was frustrated to find out the new guy was there to stay. Eventually Jer won him over through his patience and love. Love me, love my dog.

Mort’s life after that was filled with love and adventure. He got a new sister shortly after his new Daddy (Lenore) and then his sleepover pal Muffin became his brother as well. The pack enjoyed lots of playtime together. Everyone had their own spot in the bed, life was delightful.

When Mort was still a pup, he had an allergic reaction to his vaccinations. It was really scary! He was so tiny that it wasn’t really a surprise. He was never neutered due to concerns about him going under anesthesia. We didn’t travel as much as we would have liked to because no vaccinations means no kennel would take him.

Being intact meant for Mort that he was a humper. He had a stuffed hippo when he was a baby. One day when Mama was shopping at a flea market, she found a female version of the Taco Bell dog with a pretty pink collar and long eyelashes. Belle was just his size and became Mort’s mate for life. He would not hump anything else! He likes to cuddle with her at night as well.

Humping was his quality of life…. I knew when that stopped, it was time to make that hard decision.

That happened last week… He was telling me he was tired. With the emergency vet visit, he showered me in kisses because he could sense I was upset. He seemed fine, and he went back to humping but by Friday night we had another episode where he couldn’t walk. The next morning, the Vet confirmed my fear. His organs were starting to shut down.

I promised him that I would not let him suffer. The humping stopped. We had to say goodbye.

Our last two days together was a lot of sleeping. We had moments of clarity where he asked for pets and he actually had an appetite and ate like a piggy on his last day. He even got to share a meal with Mama, his favourite way to eat.

I chose an Indigenous lullaby that was perfect for him and me. He showered Jer and I in kisses to tell us it was okay, that he was ready, that I shouldn’t be so sad. I covered him in kisses and tears and gently rocked him to sleep while I sang along with the lullaby. He passed peacefully in my arms. I continued to hold him and rock him for a while after.

He now lives completely in my heart.

Until we meet again little man… Mama loves you!

Maya and Muffin will show you the ropes.