Sergio Padilla, just a young boy at the time, was enjoying what seemed to be just a normal Christmas with his three sisters, his brother, and his parents. Little did he know the special event that would occur this Christmas, until his Dad walked in with a box and said “Be ready for this.” He wasclueless about what was happening, and when he opened it, he found a dog inside and was more surprised than ever.
A Shih-Tzu mix that they later named Geo was given to him that Christmas. “This was such a great memory, because it was when I got my first pet,” Padilla said. From then on, Geo liked him best and they spent a lot of time together playing fetch. Geo chased cars a lot too, even though it was dangerous. They overall had a really strong relationship over the short time they had been together. However, throughout the four months they had Geo, he would throw up often and didn’t seem the healthiest. They decided to take him to the vet and get him checked and there they found he had cancer. The vet wasn’t sure how aggressive the cancer was but he knew that Geo would die within the next few months. During these few months they had left together, Sergio and Geo’s bond became even stronger. He spent as much time as possible with his pet, because he knew what was in the near future. “I tried not to think about the fact that Geo had cancer and just stay positive,” Padilla said.
A few months later, like the vet said, Geo passed away. It was just a random death. “My last memory was taking him on a walk at night, not knowing what was going to happen,” Padilla said.
This short period Padilla had with Geo impacted him a lot and taught him many things. “Take care of the things you love before they are gone,” Padilla said. This is a memory that he will remember forever.