Xander

 A dog’s average lifespan is 10 to 13 years, but the Munyat family dog, Xander, was with them a bit longer than expected. It all started when Christy Lynn Munyat saw a small brown and white long-haired chihuahua for sale in a pet store in Chesterfield Mall.

“I didn’t have enough money to pay for him, so I took out a loan at Wells Fargo Bank and I paid $700 for him,” Christy said.

Xander was kept hidden in Christy’s apartment because she was not allowed to have animals in her building. She tells stories of how she would come home during her lunch break to spend time with Xander and how she would take him on walks everyday. Xander and Christy were inseparable during his life.

“She got Xander before she met my dad, and Xander’s actually one of the reasons why my mom and dad started talking, because Xander ran out of the house one time and mom and dad were neighbors around that time, and dad chased Xander up the street because he was gonna get hit by a car, and then my parents started talking to each other,” Isabel Munyat said.

Xander watched Christy become a wife and mother. Eventually, as Xander got older, he started to become blind and deaf. Despite his problems the Munyat family did everything they could to make sure Xander lived a comfortable and happy life in their home.

“Sometimes he would bark at the occasional throw pillow,” Olivia Munyat said.

On June 14, 2020, Xander peacefully passed away in Christy’s arms in their family home. The family was devastated, Christy was the most affected and Isabel shares how her mother remained silent for days after his passing.

“I knew it felt like her heart was torn out of her body whenever he died,” Isabel said.

Xander lived to be 19 years old. The Munyat family only has good things to say about Xander and how he has affected them. In August of 2021, the Munyat family got two new pitbulls named Odie and Otis. However, Christy claims that she will never be able to replace Xander.

“He made me feel important and loved at a time in my life when nobody else did,” Christy said.