Remembering a Beloved Friend
// December 17th, 2008 // No Comments » // Doggie Mayhem, Pets
Re-posted from Good Works Grapevine
I’ve been off the radar for the past few days due to the death of one of my dogs and I apologize. As a little self-therapy, I’d like to dedicate this post to my best friend, Max.
At 7PM on Sunday night, we had to make the painful decision to put our ten-year-old Pit Bull/Lab mix, Max, to sleep. He had developed a large mass in his belly that was bleeding out and making him anemic, lethargic and sick. The prognosis was poor and we did what we felt was the best thing for him. He didn’t suffer and died peacefully by our side at the emergency vet.
The folks at Valley Emergency Veterinary Clinic were kind and sensitive to the situation. The vet on duty, Dr. Haase, gave us an honest assessment of Max’s condition and was very understanding throughout the process. The clinic even followed up with a sympathy card which I thought was very thoughtful.
We are trying to cope but not very well. We buried Max today on our property and I ordered a beautiful blue stone memorial for his grave. We are going to have the landscapers come back and plant tall, ornamental grass on the grave site as Max liked to go potty in the tall grass. He was very modest like that.
We adopted Max in June of 1999 from the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. He had been found at 8 months wandering the streets with a chain hanging from his neck. The woman at the shelter said that we shouldn’t adopt him because he was a “spaz”, but we didn’t listen and took him home anyway. It turns out that he was just a fantastic dog. He was a great companion for our Jack Russells, Katie & Willy, an his brother, George, and was a wonderful friend to us. Just a few things we loved about Max:
- He was always very regal and carried himself in a reserved manner.
- The top of his head smelled like perfume. I could never figure out why.
- His ears were always warm.
- He was very loving and liked to stick his head in between your knees to get petted.
- He loved to ride in the car.
- Up until 2 weeks ago, he ran like a bat out of hell through the backyard.
- We called him the “prince” because he got to do whatever he wanted.
- He would stand at the door, tail wagging, when you pulled into the drive way.
- Even at the end, his tail was still wagging and he still eager to please.
- He was just a wonderful dog.
This is a very sad time at our house. While the Jack Russells don’t seem to notice a difference, George, Max’s playmate is very whiny and needy for attention. I feel really bad for him.
After the holiday, we are considering adopting another dog so that George will have a friend. It’s a little early for me, but I think that we will all be better off in the long run with a new playmate for George.
I appreciate the outpouring of support not only from friends and family, but from my online family as well. It’s comforting to know that we are not alone. We don’t have children, so our dogs are our family members.
Please feel free to share your stories of the pets you love and give them a hug for me.
