We lost our boy, senselessly and tragically, because another parent brought cupcakes containing Xylitol to a preschool party. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident; most people don’t know that Xylitol is toxic to dogs. Everyday beloved pets die from accidentally ingesting peanut butter, chewing gum, toothpaste, and baked goods that are discreetly harboring a synthetic sweetener deadly to dogs. 

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, derived from the birch tree, which is marketed as a diabetic and keto friendly alternative to sugar because it is low calorie and won't raise blood sugar levels. Ingesting a mere 0.5 grams can cause fatal liver toxicity in some pets. We must insist that all products containing Xylitol be clearly labeled as life threatening to dogs. As part of my healing process, I would like to share some tidbits and ‘tails’ from Chap's amazing life.

It was a fact universally recognized that Chap was the best of all boys. Born in the Sinai to a Russian pet and a Baladi street dog, he spent his first year and a half being repeatedly “adopted” and abandoned by tourists drifting through Dahab. Jon nicknamed him Chap because he was the smartest looking of the street dogs, a dandy with white patches and delicate paws… It didn’t take too much coaxing to get him to adopt us. The day I knew Chap was ours forever, our six year old ran out of the house ahead of us, and directly into the path of an aggressive dog. Chap threw himself through the gate and in front of her, holding it off until we were able to drag it away.

Chap loved Dahab. He would run wild and free, periodically chasing goats through the dirt roads, and rolling in the piles of open refuse. He especially loved Eid Al-Adha for there was an excellent chance a spare goat hoof would be found. On the beach, Chap would alternate between digging giant holes directly under tourists’ sunbeds and wading out into the calm waters of the Red Sea to see if we were emerging from a dive.

On his first Transatlantic flight we had a layover in Amman. While we two legged family members were stuck in customs,  Air Jordan misplaced Chap’s crate and loaded him in with the rest of the luggage. We found him 30 minutes later, going around and around on the turn style, with a hangdog face. The following day he sat patiently at security, waiting to be screened for bombs and led back into the crate for the next leg of the trip. He never once barked or whined.  

Chap’s transition to North America was an easy one. He adored his new extended family. He loved hiking in the woods, running along Lake Michigan, and waiting to pick the kids' up from school. When the baby was born he devoted himself to her, laying at her feet through those long witching hours of evening colic, giving himself over to be tugged, at chewed on, and climbed over.  Chap also discovered the 'joy' of chasing skunks, mentoring foster pups, guarding his chickens, and digging in my damn tulip bed.

In SoCal Chap discovered he was part lizard, and would many happy hours basking on the brick, surrounded by hordes of children and his family who adored him. He was never crated, left alone, or sick. He lived a full, happy decade of life, and for that we are ever grateful. We don't even know how to be a family without you Chap; you were with us from day one. You watched us grow up, the kids become persons, and the great passage of our lives as only the most faithful companion could. Thank you for choosing to spend your years with us.

With all Our Hearts and Love