We bought Alvin from a seller in front of Albertson’s. Alvin was 8 weeks old. Vivian took a pic. Showed it to Alex. He said, “yes, let’s take him home”. Alvin was Alex’s first dog. that was February 24, 2008. It was the day before Alex’ birthday.
Alvin was a part of the family. He was an affectionate dog. He was a hugger. He knew our emotions. He went on hikes, to the beach, to family get-togethers. He came on vacation with us to Dana Point. The hotel staff called Mr. Alvin.
We took him to jail on Christmas. The inmates loved him. I took him to the patrol academy. It was a tough school. Alvin always found the deputy who needed the most comforting.
In late July 2014 he got a spider bite. He was sick until Labor Day. He knew he was sick. However unpleasant the treatments, he accepted it.
In August of 2020, Alex took him for one of his daily walks. He noticed a lump in his butt a lump. The doctor said it was cancer. He advised us Alvin might survive the surgery, he would not survive recovery.
We put him down on August 8th. We had friends and family over. They grieved with us.
We did not get another dog immediately. We needed to wait until the time was right. 5 months later we came across Simon and made him a part of the family.
Note
Sheriff Alex Villanueva is not only the first Spanish-speaking Latino Sheriff since 1890, but he is also the first challenger to defeat an incumbent Sheriff in Los Angeles County in over a century. Villanueva’s 1.3 million votes are more than the combined votes of all five sitting LA County Board of Supervisors in their last elections. Sheriff Villanueva is seeking reelection in 2022.
By Alex Villanueva, Sheriff of Los Angeles County
August 29, 2022
