Gibson was Terri's "soul pet." He was an Irish Wolfhound, which is a large breed dog. His head could pretty much rest on a kitchen counter! He was super tall with long legs and a skinny body and a tail that was almost as long as his legs.
He was big, but a bit of a doofus! He was very gentle and would lean into Terri for hugs and love. As a puppy, he hated when she was away and dealt with the stress by chewing up couches, ripping up chunks of the carpet, and even chewing on the stairs!! To help him through this growing period, I used to sometimes go to her place to walk Gibson and his big brother Duke with my dog Saela while Terri was working. Although he grew past the chewing stage, Gibson was happiest when Terri was home right up until his last breath.
Unfortunately, big breed dogs are known to have short lifespans, and earlier this month, Terri came home from a trip to Newfoundland to find out that at only 6 years old, Gibson had a tumour next to his heart that was inoperable. She and her husband opted to give Gibson a final week at home with his family before having a vet come to their home and help Gibson cross the Rainbow Bridge in their backyard under a special tree Gibson loved to sleep under.
I think Terri summed up just how special a place Gibson held in her heart best when she said: "he was my partner before I ever met D (her husband) and he was my baby before I ever had R (her 5-month-old son)."
Gibson was loving, goofy, clumsy and energetic and loyal!
