Rufio
Date of Passing: 02/05/2026
Message to Rufio: Rufio, it was so difficult to say goodbye to you, but we're so glad that you're getting some true rest, now. You were such a sweet, good boy, and we hope you knew how special and loved you were. We miss your nails tapping on the floor, your snores during the night, your eager appearance whenever someone opened the refrigerator. I keep thinking I need to find you for your walk, or help you up onto the bed to go to sleep, and I get a little vertigo each time I remember that you're not here anymore. You always tried so hard to be a good boy, and we just hope that you know that we thought you were the best boy.
Tell us about Rufio: Rufio came to us a foster pup, underweight and so terrified of the world that it was weeks before we could actually get him to walk when we took him outside. At 20lbs he was so tiny that the foster agency called him a pocket pittie. We named him Rufio after the leader of the Lost Boys in Hook, and we were so glad to be the ones to give him a home. Rufio was gentle and sweet, and completely loyal. The rare times he was off leash he would never leave our side, and always preferred short walks that took him quickly back to the safety and warmth of his home. In our party days, he would roam the house greeting guests, accepting head pats and food scraps. During sit-down affairs, he loved to plop his butt down right on top of a lucky guest's foot as a way of announcing that he was ready to be petted. He also never stopped being a big chicken (it was one of his most endearing qualities). He was afraid of riding in the car, and thunder, and crowds, and water, and the outdoors generally if it involved anything more rustic than a city park. But he did love to play. In his younger days he was particularly enthusiastic about running and playing catch. This always required more than one ball, as he never quite got the hang of dropping the toy after fetching it. He moved from Chicago, to Oakland, CA, to Denver, CO, and back to Chicago with us. He had dog friends, and cat friends, and human friends, and a few raccoons in Oakland who found him pretty intriguing. Rufio was our first baby, our very good boy, and it's hard to imagine the world without him. He was with us for almost 13 years, and we loved him very, very much.