Duke
Duke - the Happiest dog we've ever met.
March 15, 2012 - Duke died today. It was also Jackie's and my 37th wedding anniversary. Sometimes things just suck, this is one of those days. Duke's time with us was just too short. Of all our special furkids, he was perhaps the most special.
We met Duke in our vets parking lot about 4:30 in the afternoon of Thursday, February 10, 2011. Our vet is on a busy highway. As we pulled in, we noticed that a young couple had opened the trunk of their car and were walking into the vets office. The next thing we noticed was this little smiling baby GSD face and a tail waving back and forth like a pendulum. In a panic, worried about him jumping out and running into the traffic, I jumped out and moved to the back of the car. Oh Carp! He was bloody and had at least one really messed up leg. Turns out he'd been hit by a car early that morning. These people had left him this way for over 8 hours. In the office I overheard the people tell them they had $20. Jackie and I talked - easy decision. We asked our vet to get the people to surrender him and we'd take care of him. Once the staff saw him, they took over. Absolutely everyone at our vets office became involved with this little guy, who continued to smile and wage his tail to everyone he met.
He lost his left front leg. His right front was broken in a number of places and skinned to the bone in others. His right rear hip was damaged and he ultimate had to have an FHO. He had other issues too. His diaphragm had become dislodged, but that was a good thing, as it was pressing against his liver, which kept him from bleeding out. Our vet said, he had won her heart with his smile and waging tail - she simply had to save him. We brought him home about 4 days later. Through the many months of his healing, one thing remained constant - the smile and the tail. We called him our Little Dude Duke. He loved everyone and played with the rest of the Scott-Pack. He loved going back to the vet to see all his friends there, smiling and wagging all the way. Duke was as much their dog as ours.
Every evening he'd spend time sitting with both Jackie and I, starting with Jackie. After dinner, we'd find him half up on her chair looking over his shoulder waiting for her. I so wish I had a picture of that, it was so darn cute.
Thursday, March 15, 2012: Duke was sick. He threw up in his crate just before we got the kids up for the morning. Not a big deal - happened many times with other dogs, though it was a first for Duke. He didn't eat that day, and spend most of the day sleeping on the couch with us. Again, not something we hadn't seen before. That night, he took a turn for the worst, trouble breathing and couldn't stand up, all in about 1/2 hours time. I tried to get him to Animal Emergency, but he didn't make it.
Our sweet smiley-faced-wagging-tailed baby was gone. One year, one month, and one day is what we had with him. We miss him so. Our Little Dude Duke has gone over the Rainbow Bridge, where we hope he finds the same love we had for him - though in reality, that might not really be possible. No one could possibly love him the way we did.
Read MoreMarch 15, 2012 - Duke died today. It was also Jackie's and my 37th wedding anniversary. Sometimes things just suck, this is one of those days. Duke's time with us was just too short. Of all our special furkids, he was perhaps the most special.
We met Duke in our vets parking lot about 4:30 in the afternoon of Thursday, February 10, 2011. Our vet is on a busy highway. As we pulled in, we noticed that a young couple had opened the trunk of their car and were walking into the vets office. The next thing we noticed was this little smiling baby GSD face and a tail waving back and forth like a pendulum. In a panic, worried about him jumping out and running into the traffic, I jumped out and moved to the back of the car. Oh Carp! He was bloody and had at least one really messed up leg. Turns out he'd been hit by a car early that morning. These people had left him this way for over 8 hours. In the office I overheard the people tell them they had $20. Jackie and I talked - easy decision. We asked our vet to get the people to surrender him and we'd take care of him. Once the staff saw him, they took over. Absolutely everyone at our vets office became involved with this little guy, who continued to smile and wage his tail to everyone he met.
He lost his left front leg. His right front was broken in a number of places and skinned to the bone in others. His right rear hip was damaged and he ultimate had to have an FHO. He had other issues too. His diaphragm had become dislodged, but that was a good thing, as it was pressing against his liver, which kept him from bleeding out. Our vet said, he had won her heart with his smile and waging tail - she simply had to save him. We brought him home about 4 days later. Through the many months of his healing, one thing remained constant - the smile and the tail. We called him our Little Dude Duke. He loved everyone and played with the rest of the Scott-Pack. He loved going back to the vet to see all his friends there, smiling and wagging all the way. Duke was as much their dog as ours.
Every evening he'd spend time sitting with both Jackie and I, starting with Jackie. After dinner, we'd find him half up on her chair looking over his shoulder waiting for her. I so wish I had a picture of that, it was so darn cute.
Thursday, March 15, 2012: Duke was sick. He threw up in his crate just before we got the kids up for the morning. Not a big deal - happened many times with other dogs, though it was a first for Duke. He didn't eat that day, and spend most of the day sleeping on the couch with us. Again, not something we hadn't seen before. That night, he took a turn for the worst, trouble breathing and couldn't stand up, all in about 1/2 hours time. I tried to get him to Animal Emergency, but he didn't make it.
Our sweet smiley-faced-wagging-tailed baby was gone. One year, one month, and one day is what we had with him. We miss him so. Our Little Dude Duke has gone over the Rainbow Bridge, where we hope he finds the same love we had for him - though in reality, that might not really be possible. No one could possibly love him the way we did.
