A Decade of Trying

Bucky the pug dog is eleven years old. We have been taking him to Pugtacular, put up by the Northern California Pug Club, almost every year of his life. It used to be held at the Santa Clara County Fair Ground in San Jose, then it was moved San Mateo, and the recent years we've been trekking up to Antioch for our annual pug fit.


Every year Bucky enters the pug race, and every year there was always a spiffy little girl pug beat him by a fraction of a nose. We all thought Bucky was going to go down the history like Michelle Kwon, a permanent second place holder.


Then again sometimes in the deepest of my heart, I know if Bucky lives long enough he's going to win the race some day, even if he's the last one left standing.


This year was finally the time. The judge gave him a five-foot "disability advantage" along with another eleven-year-old (the rest of the pack were all seven and eight year-olds). Bucky ran with all his might to the cookie.


Fifteen minutes later Mom and Pug won the third place in "Pug and Owner Look Alike". We won second place when Bucky was a year old. The gray hair didn't help much.

The retired champion resting at home.