Brock’s Obituary

Brock Rodrigumeny was born in spring 2013. Eirik picked him at a Lap Dog Rescue event at Three Dog Bakery. We wanted him so bad, after we turned in our application, when we realized we hadn’t included that Eirik worked from home, we turned around and made sure to add it.

When they brought the wrong dog on adoption day, September 11, 2013, Eirik refused a perfectly adorable puppy and made the lady drive 1.5 hours to return with Brock. Eirik named him Brock because the last season of Breaking Bad was airing, and that was the only character we were certain wouldn’t die.

Brock was happy in the mornings and was usually the only one in our family to feel that way. He liked the smell of coffee and was fanatical for popcorn. Eirik’s only pre-transplant almost dying wish was to see Brock. Mary-Ann brought him to California and when he arrived at the airport he broke the zipper on his travel crate to greet me.

We went on vacation to the Grand Canyon with family and left Brock with a dog sitter who had many dogs. Eirik was certain Brock was too sad when we got back, and we needed to get him a sibling. I picked Harvey while I was volunteering at the shelter. A great love and rivalry was born between them.

Brock tended to pick the most anti-social dog at the dog park and draw them out. He did the same with Harvey and he taught Harvey to be a little more human, and Harvey taught him how to be more of a dog.

Brock liked to be carried like a toddler by both of us. I always found this exceptionally cute and brave, his paw casually over Eirik’s shoulder, totally trusting him balanced 6 feet in the air.

Brock had terrible snaggle teeth and we loved him for it. He liked to eat Kleenex and lick books. He thought every package delivered was for him. He would like to smell my face after I put on makeup to checkout what I put on. He would sometimes flop on the couch with no regard to his safety and Eirik or I would have to catch him so he wouldn’t fall.

He would lick the tears off my face when I cried, but only when things were truly terrible. If it was just over a movie he could tell the difference.

He hated Beck and anytime one of his songs came on he would bark. He also hated the printer.

He was with me whenever I got bad news alone while Eirik was sick in the ICU. He got to visit Eirik in the hospital before he died because he was such a good boy.

When Eirik died, it was comforting that I knew Brock understood my grief. His favorite person died too.

Brock was attacked by a loose pitbull on a walk four houses down from our house. A walk we he had done countless times his whole life. He died on September 8, 2024, exactly two months after Eirik, exactly apparently how all my boys die – from medical trauma with me by their side.

I’m grateful he didn’t have to cross the rainbow bridge and wait for anyone. He just got to go straight to see Eirik in whatever dimension he’s in. I’m certain they’re on a couch somewhere, hanging out, watching tv together.