Goodbye, Mowat (Aug 2012-March 8, 2025)
Mowat Carter-Mills (aka Momo, Mowie, Mo, Mr. Mo, Little Bastard, and sometimes Jerry) died peacefully, with his family by his side, on the afternoon of March 8, 2025. Halfway through his thirteenth year, he shone bright right to the end despite cancer, chronic arthritis, and encroaching health issues.
At the vet’s office, he insisted on his share of dried liver treats to top off his breakfast of four-cheese egg bites and the previous evening’s bacon-wrapped sirloin medallion. He had also enjoyed a quiet morning walk through a poplar grove at Bird’s Hill Park one last time.
Mowat found his family on a frigid January 7th in 2013. Three to five months old, he was discovered under a porch in The Pas. Unable to stop chasing the homeowner’s Pomeranians, he was moved that same evening into a “temporary foster home” that would quickly become permanent. His new people (us!) had relocated from central Ontario four days earlier and had never raised their own puppy but were ready to complicate their new Manitoba adventure (and they were also much younger then!)
Named for the blue-eyed writer, Farley Mowat, who also loved his northern adventures, and Mowat’s Landing on the Montreal River in Northern Ontario, Mowat had an irrepressible drive and love of life right from the beginning. In other words: he was a crazy puppy, and rough and tumble, as befitted a dog from the north!
Many mornings, Jason would find himself racing after Momo on the frozen North Saskatchewan River across from our house, dodging between ice shacks as Momo hunted for frozen fish heads. With total abandon (and often zero sense of limits), he threw himself at the world…
Reckless and accident prone, Mowat had a lot of luck on his side! The abridged list of his misadventures include: sampling a metal ladder with his tongue on a very cold winter’s day; getting attacked by (we think) coyotes; running off with his bestie, Sammy, and spending the whole night in the wetland behind our house in The Pas; jumping into a neighbour’s pool and luckily listening to me to ‘stay’ at the edge so he didn’t slip under the cover; getting kicked in the ribs by a horse; developing a mysterious penis infection that even the vet couldn’t figure out… He also had a rocky tummy and once, when he seemed to be in great discomfort, an emergency vet gave him a very costly diagnosis of “bad gas.”
But the first major injury happened when he was two and tore his TPLO ligament, thus needing the first of two surgeries at the vet hospital in Saskatoon. This was followed by chronic arthritis, treated with pain meds from a very young age, and the removal of two cancerous tumours, one of which returned in Spring 2024 and finally overtook him.
Through it all, Momo’s lust for life went unabated! His joy in meeting people and making new dog friends shone in his face. People often commented on how happy he looked in contrast to his famous deadpan or downright grumpy expression when it was just him and his family. He had many loves: food (he would ask permission to go harvest himself a zucchini), fishing, snuggling under the covers in bed, back wriggles, chairs, playing fetch at the beach, opening Christmas presents, keeping an eye on the backyard red squirrels, going on car rides…. He also lacked patience, had an impossible stubborn streak, and wouldn’t give up his chair for anyone…. He was one of a kind, and he will be deeply, deeply missed.
Run free, sweet boy. You were loved.
That made me cry . Lots. Sweet, gregarious and adventurous Mo. I remember so many of his life’s events and can still see him “taking you for a walk” along the river and hoping his puppy strength was not enough to pull you down the bank. You and Jason were perfect fur kid parents for him and he lives the best life any dog could with so much love. Rest peacefully Momo and I send lots of love to you and Jason.
Thanks so much, Renee. So many walks down Rahls Island Road… with Mo barking at any “big birds” on the river 🙂 He was quite a character. We will miss him. Love back to you!
Well that made me very sad. He was such a lucky dog to have a life with you. What a place in your hearts and now what a space he’s left behind.
My condolences. 💕
Thank you, Susan.