Buster vs. Ruki

As I mentioned last week, I recently took all the photos off my old computer and transferred them to my current computer. In addition to exposing me to all of the rather unfortunate fashion and hair styles that I suffered through, it also exposed me to some pictures of my old dog, Buster. 

Buster was my childhood dog, and he was special to me because he was mine--all mine. My parents got him for me for my thirteenth birthday, while my twin brother only got a model stock car to race with his geeky stock-car loving friends.

Buster was a mutt, as you can see from the photo above. He also looked a lot like a little black bear, especially as he got older and a tad more plump.

Anyhow, looking through old pictures of Buster really made me a bit sad, mostly because now that I'm an adult and fully capable of caring for something or someone else I recognize that I could've treated Buster better. It's not that I abused Buster, or Be-bop, as I liked to call him (yes, from Be-bop and Rocksteady on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!), but that he was generally not my first priority. I petted him when I wanted and got frustrated when he wanted something and I wasn't in the mood. When he got older he developed a big fat tumor and an endocrine disorder, and I'm afraid that I wasn't there for him as much because I was away at college. Sigh.

Yes, those are hot pink khaki pants. I rocked those suckers.

In some ways I feel especially regretful that I didn't take care of Buster to the best of my abilities because now David and I both spoil the you know what out of Haruki.

She has, like, four different dog beds, she is allowed on every piece of furniture in the house, and the quality of her food rivals mine (and that's saying a lot).

She knows she's a princess. Mostly because David lets her know in every way and at all times--including dinnertime.

Thinking about Buster and Ruki, I'm mostly sad that they will never meet. It would be nice to have little Be-bop _and_ Ruki altogether here in our little mountain chalet. (Although Ruki would prolly attack and kill Buster.)

*What about you? Did you have a pet as a child that perhaps you weren't the best owner to? Or do you wish that your past and present pets could meet? (Or do I just have too much time on my hands?)