“… žao mi je al vas dragi prijatelj je otisao”
“… I’m sorry but your dear friend has left”

Rio the village dog. Zastražišće, Hvar, Croatia.

We got the bad news a month ago and we are still beyond heartbroken. I haven’t been able to say his name out loud since the morning we got the bad news. Rio the Village Dog, our dear friend, has died.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

I still remember the very first moment I laid eyes on him. It was 2018, and we just shipped our van to Europe and made a beeline to the little Croatian village where my dad grew up, Zastražišće on the island of Hvar. Our daily routine during previous visits was to walk down a small path surrounded by gardens and stone homes to pick up a freshly baked loaf of bread from the village baker and that’s exactly how this visit began as well. But this time around, on our walk through the lower part of the village, we were greeted by a wiggly reddish-brown dog that jumped on us as if were his oldest and truest of friends, ones he hasn’t seen in forever. Little did we know, is that from that day on, he would continue to greet us the same way, every day for the rest of his life.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

Our time in the village was limited to winters during those first two years overseas. We’d spend a few cold months a year in Croatia to take care of residency paperwork and then explore the surrounding countries in spring, summer, and fall. Every day in the village was spent with Rio. Sometimes it was a quick hello and other times he hung out all hours of the day. I could count on my fingers the days that he didn’t stop by our stone home or the van or find us randomly on a hike. He was our constant. And the very first time we left the village in the van to continue adventuring across Europe, he chased us down the road. It was heartbreaking to watch him run after us in our side view mirrors. I would have stolen him right then and there if I could. His owner joked that she would give him to us. But he belonged to that village. He brought that village joy. He was the heart of that village. I’m so thankful his owner shared him with us.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

And then when the world shut down during the pandemic, we spent most of our time in Croatia, more specifically, in the village. It was isolating and lonely at times. The animals we spent our days with helped our family get through those tough times. I’m thankful we got to slow down and spend more time getting to know the place where my father grew up. The village is part of my family’s story now. And Rio is too.

Back to Zastrazisce

He was such a constant in our lives and I can’t imagine our little village in Croatia without his smiling face. He made our lives fuller. The kids fell in love with the village thanks to him and I will forever be thankful for that. He was the reason we cried when we left Europe. And when we landed in the US. We thought for sure we’d see him again. But he died on a Saturday in late February. I’m not sure why or how but I know he was buried next to his vegetable garden. The same place where we first laid eyes on him on that fateful morning. And the first thing I’ll do when I get back to the village is to put the prettiest flowers on his grave. And a few cat kibbles too because he could never resist stealing a few from our stone house porch.

Zastražišće

Ever since I was a kid, the thought of returning to the village always brings a smile to my face. Rounding that final tight corner on the road to see our little stone home. The cicadas singing. The sound of our feet stomping up the concrete stairs with the painted railing in our grip. The warm humid air with a hint of lavender filling my lungs. But my next visit will be different. I’m going to dread the quiet no matter how loud those cicadas sing.

Zastražišće garden day

Part of me didn’t want to share the loss until he visited me in my dreams. It’s something that brings me comfort after loved ones pass. And after two weeks to the day, he came to say hello. In my dream, I was in my parent’s front yard in California. It was golden hour, just starting to sprinkle. The sprinkles were lit up by the sunshine. It felt magical the way only warm rain in sunshine can do. Someone was making a grand speech. I was panning the yard, back and forth, back and forth. And for a split second, Rio appeared next to the girls on the grass. He was on his back doing his back scratch wiggle. Snout to tail, snout to tail. He was happy. He was in the sunshine. The most perfect shiny reddish-brown fur. And then when I panned back, he was gone and I woke up. Confused for a split second and then happy once I realized Rio visited me in my dream. I felt thankful. He’s ok. I miss him. I love him. I’m in tears.

The dream reminded me of the rainy sunshine I experienced in real life on the village porch. And how Rio would always visit us during rain. Muddy feet and wiggly excitement were his things during the rain. And there he was doing the same thing in my dream that brought me happiness in real life.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

I want to remember how…

he would immediately roll over and move his front paws until someone would scratch his belly. If you scratched just right, he would kick his hind leg and the kids would laugh and scream “foot of fury!”

Our first day meeting Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

He’d use concrete steps, stone walls and planters as pillows while he napped. He snapped at every fly and made a really funny cartoon-sounding “chomp” with his mouth.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar
Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

He would bark at us every morning we slept in the van until we got up.

Bye Split. Back to Zastražišće

And when we’d open the stone house’s front door, he would be smiling.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

And hang out for the day… like friends do.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

He loved his owners and we will be forever grateful they shared him with us.

Teta Mande i Rio u Zastražišće, Hvar

He always wore a red leather collar. He was always free to roam the village, except for the summers. So the one summer we spent in the village, would include us visiting Rio.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

And taking him on adventures on leash.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

He would sit with me during my coffee breaks.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

He would be missing every Halloween up until the moment it was time for me to take photos of the kids. Just in time for the photo and allowed us to dress him up too. He didn’t miss any of our four Halloween photos in the village.

Halloween in Zastrazisce, Hvar, Croatia.

He’d find us on almost every single walk, whether it was to the village’s tallest peak or to the cold sea.

Zastražišće
Zastrazisce

And he knew where each and every watering hole or bathtub was.

Zastražišće

There was a sign at the beach saying no dogs allowed because he was known to pee on beach towels and how the sign never stopped him from swimming in the sea on those hot days.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar, Vela Stiniva

All cooled off now.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar. Vela Stiniva

He’d chase the bully cat away from our cats on my demand. Using the stone walls as a rickety path.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

And then snuggle with the kids until they were done with school.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

He loved their attention.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

All of our attention.

Leaving Hvar and Rio the village dog for Mostar, Bosnia.

He followed us to the little store once, walked right in and no one even flinched. He was Rio. He ruled this place.

Rio the village dog took a trip down to the little market with us. When he walked into the shop, I didn’t want him to get yelled at because of us... but nobody even gave him a second glance. He owns this town. 😂

And when anyone saw him walking on the road in the village, they would stop, open their door and ask him if he needed a ride. Sometimes he did. Sometimes he smiled and kept walking.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

When he got in trouble, he would run to our side of the village, to our house. His owner messaged me that he had done that same exact thing just a few weeks before he passed. It was the last happy thing that was shared with me before the bad news.

Zastražišće

And when we left once to test out van life with the kittens, he blocked the road. Ha.

Zastrazisce and Rio.

He became jealous of Toby and chased him twice. I put him in timeout because of it and he quickly learned that Toby was nobody to be jealous of. We had enough love for them both.

Zastrazisce

He’d join me and Twin on our daily golden hour walks, walking on the rickety stone walls just like a cat. He would sneakily eat cat kibble I left out for the strays and sometimes not so sneakily too.

Zastrazisce

He would hang out on our balcony and bark at anyone that pissed him off.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

And spent hours sleeping and snuggling on our porch.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

Once during a long walk uphill from the beach, his little legs couldn’t handle it and he kept sitting down. So Dan and I took turns picking him up.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

And during the holy week procession, he hung out on our balcony with Twin and Toby waiting for it to start, like three friends.

Zastrazisce

Zastrazisce

And stuck around for the main show.

Za Krizen, zastrazisce, Hvar

He’d keep us company in the fields when we picked olives in the fall. We discovered he liked being brushed by the hand picker.

Zastražišće

Sometimes he wouldn’t go home for bedtime. I would have to walk him down the path home, yelling “doma” only to find him back on our porch a few minutes later.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

I made him a little bed on the porch with moving blankets under my grandparent’s original wooden table for when he stubbornly refused to leave.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

And when I made a bed on the outdoor chairs for the feral cats, he slept on that too.

Zastrazisce

And don’t tell my parents he sometimes snuggled on the couch when it was cold out.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

He was so scared of thunderstorms and during a really bad one, he refused to leave. He looked at me when I got into the van that night.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

When I nodded and he jumped in and slept all night long in our van without making a peep. I never told anyone he slept in the van with us once. He was scared and it felt right.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

Or another scary night where he slept in the old stone home in the room where my kids slept, the one that originally belonged to my grandparents.

Zastražišće
Zastražišće

And if we ever caught him at his house, he would have such a surprised look on his face before he tackled us.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

He would follow us home. Barking through this corridor like he was announcing that he was going out for a bit.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

The kids would race him back to our house. Oh how fast he would run. He would always win.

Rio the Village Dog, Zastražišće, Hvar

On our last day together, we snuggled, neither of us not knowing it was to be our last. I didn’t want to stop petting him because if I did, I knew he’d be off down the path. I screamed “I love you, Rio” when he did walk down that path one last time, out loud for all to hear. Because I did and I didn’t care who heard. He didn’t visit us daily for some magical food we were giving him. He visited every day because we gave him love. We gave him our hearts. We loved him and he loved us. He felt that. We felt that. He was our true friend.

Back to Split and Hvar

***

The reason I’m sharing this with you all is that he not only wiggled his way into my heart but into so many other hearts as well. The love he gave was the love that he received. From his owners to all the other villagers and to all of you who’ve watched him virtually. He was loved by so many.  So many of us have a Rio-Sized hole in our hearts now. Thank you for loving us, friend. Rest in peace, my sweet Rio.

***

It was hard to write this and to gather all my photos and videos of Rio but also healing as well. And when my kids look back at this when they are older, I know that it’ll make them smile the biggest smiles remembering their friend Rio.

All my photos of Rio are here.

All my Instagram stories with Rio in them are here:


3 Comments

Etta · March 31, 2023 at 7:09 am

RIP Rio! How I wished you could have travel the world. You were loved by many around the world who followed along with your second family. 💔💔💔😢😢😢

Fairlight · April 22, 2024 at 4:06 pm

I remember all the sweet bits about Rio as if I were there for them too. I cried like a baby when I read the news of his passing, it broke my heart. But I never read this blog post. This is beautiful; it’s such a special dedication to a special creature who wiggled into the hearts of so many. He was a character, wasn’t he? And you captured him so well.

    marlene · May 8, 2024 at 1:58 pm

    He truly was the best. Thank you for loving him too.

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