My Beloved Roxy- 10/31/97 - 3/29/12

I always wanted a dog of my own but my son was terribly allergic to animals, so when he moved out on his own, I decided to adopt a dog for my daughter's 15th birthday.

One day we were cruising the beach in Oceanside, CA where we lived and saw a sign, "Puppies For Sale."  I had wanted to adopt a dog from the Humane Society but when we saw that sign, we couldn't resist. 

We went to the back yard and there she was...this adorable little puppy with white paws, a white chest and white at the tip of  her tail .  She was all alone sitting on the porch and looking down at her siblings (who were nursing) like she ruled the world, even though she was the "runt" of the litter.  After looking at the mom (a pure bred Akita) and how large she was, I thought no way!  The owners told us the father was a pure bred German Shepard police dog and then I began to think, boy she would be a great protector for myself and my daughter, Kari.  She begged for us to come up that porch and give her a chance.  That's when we became pet parents to Roxy, nickname Rox in the Box with White Sox.

Our little runt became our beloved Roxy (named after Roxy surf wear since she was born at the beach).  She was my daughter's dog, but she really ended up being my companion when my daughter moved out on her own 4 yrs. later.  She has my best friend for the past 15 yrs. and amazingly...my son Jeff was not allergic to her!  Every other dog, but not our Roxy.

She loved when Kari would sing to her, she hated touching the wet sand at the beach or even going into the water. She always slept on my bed, even though she weighed 75 lbs, and just recently realized that she really loves to go for long rides in the car.  Before our move to KS, she liked the car but it became her favorite thing to do after that trip to our new home.

When Kari, her husband and my only grandchild decided to move to Kansas recently, I HAD to follow.  I couldn't be that far away from them.  By then my Roxy was 14 and I feared she couldn't make the long drive from CA to KS due to the arthritis in her  hips,  but lo and behold, she got the ok from her vet and she absolutely loved that trip!  My sister came along with us to take turns driving and Roxy owned that back seat!  We made it a fun road trip with many stops along the way and Roxy was her charming self at every hotel we stayed in.  What a wonderful memory for my sister and me to remember forever.

But that was my Roxy.  She was an amazing comforter, our protector, a wonderful companion, a comedian the way she would entertain us with her toys as she strived to remove the little squeaky thing inside of them and most of all...she was my loyal friend. 

When we arrived in Kansas and got settled into our new home, she would stand tall in the back yard and let the wind blow across her face with her head held high like a lion letting everyone know this was HER place.  Then she would come in the house and nudge my arm with her nose to tell me she wanted to take a ride in the car.  We did almost every day before she left us.  By the end times, I had to lift her to go up and down the steps to the yard and into the car, but her spunk and her smiles were always there.  She continued to sleep next to me but on the floor next to the bed rather than IN it.  I'll never forget the nights before the arthritis took over, when I would wake up and find that she moved from the foot of my bed near my feet, to laying on the pillow next to me with her nose in my face. 

She protected me for 15 years and I will never forget the comfort I felt knowing she was there watching out for me. 

I could write for hours about all the Roxy stories we have been blessed to witness.  The sorrow I feel is one similar to when I lost my mother because Roxy was always there for me in sad times, good times, rough times, through sickness and even through the death of my parents.  She laid her head on my lap when I was sad and barked and jumped on me when we laughed and played.  

My Rox in the Box with White Sox will be remembered for the joy she brought to our family and for me especially... her loyalty and the times she always made me feel safe and loved.  She was my my wonderful friend and companion. We will always love you our sweet sweet friend.

Our little "runt" became one of the "biggest" parts of our Family.

Respectfully submitted by

The Balderrama Family