A Ballard named Georgie

On Nov. 8, 2001, Vanilla Buttercup and Tan Man Chuckie had an adorable son.

He proudly wore a soft, pure white coat of fur that appeared to be randomly splattered with caramel colored spots of various sizes. His eyes were bright, alert and the color of chocolate, and his heart was full of unconditional love. He was a tiny Chihuahua and all he wanted was to be cared for and loved.

Our son, Blake, really wanted a puppy, so we put the word out that we were looking for a dog to adopt. We were immediately put in contact with a person who had one. Blake was working, so Debra and I decided to go meet him. We couldn't wait to see our potential new companion animal.

Georgie was living in a rural area of Byron in a cozy house tucked in the woods with a family including two small children. Complete with all his pedigree papers, the mother purchased him as a gift for her children.

As toddlers do, they loved to play and he was a little timid and scared of them. Fearing the children were being a little rough, the mother regretfully wanted to find another home for him. The children had already named this handsome young puppy Georgie.

As the front door opened, we could see two active children chasing Georgie through the house. He paused for a second to see who we were. There was a special twinkle in Georgie's eyes. We knew he had to go home with us. Georgie's belongings were gathered and packed as they reluctantly said their goodbyes.

I held Georgie in my arms as Debra drove down the country road and headed home. He didn't make a sound. Little did he know he was being relocated from the country to the city. He appeared to be a little stunned at first but quickly adjusted and settled in to his new and colorful home. He was 6 months old.

From that day forward, Georgie owned a piece of our hearts.

He quickly became Blake's shadow and they played for hours on end. They would run until they both were completely out of breath and then only rest a few minutes before Georgie once again grabbed his rubber ball and dropped it at Blake's feet. Georgie was full of life and definitely had his own quirky personality.

It wasn't long before Georgie became a guest on my television show. He was also the subject of many of my weekly columns and magazine articles -- actually appearing on a couple of covers. He enjoyed being a celebrity canine and certainly thought he was better than regular dogs. In fact, Georgie didn't think he was a dog at all!

He ruled our household from any room he was in. He kept us warm during the cold, winter nights by scurrying deep under the covers as we slept. He hated cold weather and spent most of the winter months shaking. He thought he would melt if his paws became wet when he went outside after it rained. In his prime, he could jump three feet off the ground and run so fast he once caught a chipmunk.

He loved sweets more than me and most anything else edible. He associated the distinctive sound of a Ziplock opening with something that was far tastier than his regular dry food. He sat at our feet during meals, waiting patiently for a small morsel to fall or a hand to sneak him a bite of food.

Every day when our mail was delivered through the mail slot in our front door, Georgie immediately went into attack mode. Fearing the letters and magazines were potential intruders, he shredded them if he got there first. He didn't like anyone coming into his house and let you know immediately with a shrill bark and an "I mean business" growl.

Smart as a whip and sharp as a tack, Georgie brought so much love, joy and entertainment into our family over the years. He could snuggle like no other and was most content when part of him was touching us. He melted our hearts with the swish of his tail and a kiss from his tongue. To him, he was just another Ballard.

During the last couple of years, his health declined. Never giving into aging, Georgie adapted and carried on. He never gave up but just became a little slower. Grey hair appeared around his mouth and nose and he preferred to lounge around instead of run and play. We knew what was happening but didn't want to admit it.

Two days shy of his 14th birthday, Georgie peacefully slipped away. Letting him go is one of the hardest things we've ever had to do and will definitely take time to heal. We will always have our memories of precious little Georgie Ballard.

One thing I know for sure is our lives were richer for having Georgie as part of our family. I'm so grateful we drove to the country to bring him to where he was destined to be.

Send your questions or comments to P.O. Box 4232, Macon, GA 31208; call 478-757-6877; email markballard@cox.net; follow him at instagram.com/markcreates; or become a subscriber to Mark's Facebook page.

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 2:44 PM with the headline "A Ballard named Georgie ."