The Ugliest Dog in Bastrop County

Well, she got him when she first moved to Texas, 13 years ago. He was in a litter by the side of the road, as so many puppies are. She brought him home unannounced and proclaimed that she could finally have a dog and he was going to be with her forever. And he was cute as puppies are – all black and fuzzy and nobody had a clue what breed. But that didn’t matter anyway. She named him BJ for “junior” after a dog she’d never known and she taught him to grab and tug the bottom of her jeans and run along beside her on her horse. But after a few months we started to notice that “cute” was turning into “strange looking” and finally after he’d gotten his full growth BJ was just plain ugly. People would stop by the house to visit and tactfully let you know that this was the strangest looking dog they’d ever seen. Now, not like the “ugly dog contest” or such, but just … well – ugly. He had black hair and red hair and stringy hair and fuzzy hair and textured red and black all mixed together all grown over his eyes. But he grew up and she grew up, turning into a young woman and moving away, and then moving closer. Apartment living would have killed BJ – he like to run through the cockleburs and roll in the horse stalls and he would not ever sit still for a bath. She pulled out the burrs and the smell finally wore off. He was a country dog. And in the last few months he either couldn’t see or hear, or he just ignored anybody he didn’t want to see. But every time she would come in he’d grab the bottom of her jeans and pull for all he had in him. And they’d roll around on the ground and play like the little kids they were when she first found him.

This morning I walked out and found BJ lying in the driveway, cold and still. And she came out behind me, took one look and knew the time had come. Tears and memories. She took his collar and I took care of the rest.

BJ is buried under the cockleburs he loved not far from a rabbit hole he haunted. I think he had a good life. He was loved and he’ll be missed. And I think that’s a pretty good epitaph for the Ugliest Dog in Bastrop County.