Lucky's Memorial

​Lucky Elvis Schwarzenegger Comer-Cutler was Lucky’s name. I first saw him in a pin at a pet shop, overlooking the San Diego temple. I was battling with depression and my parents thought a puppy would help. When I saw Lucky, I knew he was the one. His beautiful brown eyes looking up at me, his reddish golden hair, with a beautiful flag like waving tail. I picked him up, I was so content. My dad was trying to guilt me into getting a mangled looking dog that looked like Benji who had crawled it’s miserable way out of a storm drain. I was about to get that mangy looking dog just out of pity, when my parents said if I really wanted Lucky, that I needed to pick him up and hold him then and not let him go. I didn’t realize why then, but I picked him up anyway. The reason they wanted me to hold him was because the family who had “claimed him” two hours ago had said they’d be back in one and needed to get their child or children to double check with them (they had been taken away with him too). The woman had agreed to hold him for one hour. Now that it had been two, she was off the hook. I didn’t let him go, and I took him home with me. I remember walking to the car with him and saying, “I’ll name him Lucky”. Oh, how my world seemed to look up from that moment on… even though I did end up getting taken by the CPS and my parents divorced… it worked out for the best though! ;)


Lucky loved life by my side and I by his, he was my baby, and I was a mom by age 11. Though we didn’t always have the dream pet-owner relationship (I was a kid after all), it worked out in the end. At a particularly hard time of my life, I was always yelling and just angry at him (in my defense, he barked all the time). One day it hit me, "why am I being so mean and angry at my dog?". Guilt hit me and I realized I really didn’t like the way I had become and it really wasn’t appropriate. After that rough spot in my teen years, I made a change, and again became close with him and decided to treat him with the love, kindness and respect he needed and deserved. That was probably the best lesson Lucky blessed me with, and I’m only now thinking of it...


Later in life, I met my husband Scott. It made me so happy that Lucky was alive and there for me on my wedding day, and be the “Best Dog” of the wedding. Lucky was there to give me a dance after my Sweetheart, Scott, was there to give a few barks and even bring the ring down the isle during the ring ceremony at Balboa Park! He was such a good ring bearer and I remember him clearly running down the isle with his long floppy ears flapping in the wind, his tail wagging, and getting caught by Scott at the isles end! Oh, what a wonderful day that was. That day was September 23, 2011.


A little short of a year later, Lucky was there to greet George when he came home from the hospital. Two years after that, he was able to meet our new born daughter, Emilie. It greaves me to miss him so, but I always wanted him to meet my little ones! He was there for the most momentous moments of my life, the biggest most spectacular times... Times that I most desperately wanted him to see and be there for, and he was. He’s bestowed licks on both my children, and blessed me with a friendship with him that will scope all of eternity, and I will love him forever!


The last few years or so of his life were hard, but also one filled with adventure and excitement. Because my husband grew up in a very different setting and upbringing, and due to his sensitive nature, Lucky had to become an outdoor dog after a lifetime of being an indoor one. Though this was very hard on him socially, it was a time of adventure and experience. Our whole 6 acre property has been throughly explored and patrolled by Lucky. During a family hike last Thanks Giving, with my whole side of the family, we went exploring the corners of our lot up hills and bush. Lucky was right there, digging and crawling right under the brush going places, while everyone else worked through partial clearings and paths. Even in my most recent memories of hikes, Lucky loved to take shortcuts and explore places the rest of us couldn’t. There has been times when he’s found fresh bones, dead birds, and even mice and able to eat the delicacies that he was never really able to eat and enjoy before. Indeed, he was able to be a dog and enjoy the sights and smells of nature.


The last day of his life, his tail was still wagging. He gave all of us licks at the Vet before his journey across to the next life began. He was then given a 5x dose of opiates to take away the pain, and for the first time in a long time, he was able to feel at peace and have the deepest most comfortable sleep he could have. He was then given a shot to put him under anesthesia and help him cross over, the day being November 20th, 2015. The Vet was so kind to all of us as we underwent the process. It still hurts so badly to think of it all, but I’m so happy he doesn’t have to endure a cold, cold winter in his old age, with zero body fat, cooped up in a garage for warmth. He had a wonderful last few days of his life with the warmer weather, and we were so blessed to have him here with us and be able to spend some more time with him. Dear Lucky, I love you. We’ll all see you again soon.
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