Magnum Zender

Goodbye, my friend. When we first met, all the information that we had from the rescue was that your first family in Grove City turned you over and you ended up in a shelter in Xenia because you were a wild man! While there you went through the Ohio prison program to learn some better manners – that didn’t work out so well as you learned to pickpocket and counter surf. When first visiting you it was confirmed you were indeed a hooligan… after three inches of snow, dock diving and jumping into the pond in 30 degree weather, only to back-surf through the grass and snow to wipe yourself off and do it all over again and again…and yet again. That day meeting Bella, you two tolerated each other, became brother and sister and quickly became a force to be reckoned with. Coming back home in the Jeep and watching you two in the rearview mirror thinking what did we get ourselves into? Little did we know that escapades would ensue! You settled into your new home but Bella made it clear she was the rule of the roost – often giving you the short end of the stick, stealing your food and your treats. Shortly after you became ill and losing your right eye to Blastomycosis. As the vet tech at Ohio State Vet Med said, “Magnum is full of life” as you pulled her down the hallway! Your energy and enthusiasm powered you through. Before losing sight you owned the backyard running clockwise around the fire pit, afterwards you still owned it running counterclockwise so you could see and earning a new nickname: Blinker. Once you became an only dog of the house, you quickly settled into your role. Barking at everything that moved, having to go outside every 10 minutes to chase squirrels and varmints with the occasional deer…you almost caught one! You also loved on your hoomans every chance you got demanding attention every step of the way. I’m so grateful that we had the opportunity to share our lives together over the past 10+ years. Crazy little guy but always happy to see us when we got home. Always ready to snuggle on the couch, a glutton for treats and always ready to go on a walk – and a bed hog in which we could never be out of your sight….. even up until today, as weak as you are trying to be as close to me as possible. I made a pact with you and said I would never leave you. That promise has been kept as you held true to yours….with unconditional love and compassion. Today you begin a new journey and pass on to the bridge. And when you get there, look out for Bella….she runs the soft-serve shop and has a scoop waiting for you! Pull up a stool, you two have a lot of catching up to do. Although our hearts ache with the paw prints that you permanently left on them, it’s a comfort knowing that you are no longer in pain, able to run free and once again become that wild man and hooligan that we grew to love. Rest easy, Magnum Blinkers. I love you and will see you one day on the other side.

Magnum Zender

January 21, 2022