Man's Best Friend ~ R.I.P. Spain

[CRider]

Originally Posted by riverdog

"Dogs are good." That pretty much covers it.

Yup.

[riverdog-cr]

Originally Posted by Alan

My thoughts are with Eric.

I'm young enough and lucky enough to still have my best friend, an eleven year old scrappy little rat terrier named Taco. He's had a rough year undergoing a splenectomy due to cancer. He still has a lot of spirit and I'll cherish the time I have left.

-Alan

Good on ya! Lots ofstars have to align properly to catch splenic neoplasia. Good for Taco...... and you.

[Cycleman]

Originally Posted by Acesfull

.. care to give his addy up so I can send him something that might cheer him up?

PM sent, brother....

[Acesfull]

got it... going to break out the heavy artillery

[Cycleman]

Originally Posted by Acesfull

got it... going to break out the heavy artillery

BTW,,,,,, my brothers...... Nick stood up and sent a very nice care pacage to Erin the week he lost his partner.... La Aruro's,,,,

Eric was really touched. Thank you nick fr that selfless act.... and thank you all for such good energy being sent to my main man......

[Acesfull]

not a problem... would have done it for anyone. hope all is well and hope the meet him next month!

[HRPuffinStuff-cr]

Please offer my deepest condolences to your friend on the loss of his beloved partner. I do not believe many men outside of law enforcement, disabled people and hunters really know the depth to which a dog can serve as a partner.

I'd like to share this story from last year around this time of my own beloved bird-dog's passing, which you may share with Eric if you choose, to simply illustrate the fact that the BOTL REALLY DO understand.

(Originally posted on Lake-Link (Wisconsin outdoors website) entitled (probably inappropriately, but reflected my feelings at the time) "Killed My Dog Yesterday".)

Around 3:00PM yesterday I got a frantic call from my soon-to-be-ex wife. Our 13+ year old female, AKC, field champion-bred German Shorthair Pointer (that the STBX has custody of) had crawled under the bed and was nearly comatose and unresponsive. Could I come right away.

So I got there (to the new place that the STBX is renting) and was able to extract the pooch from under the bed. Her little stub of a tail wiggled....just a little....when she recognized Papa. She smelled my hand and licked me. I wrapped her in a blanket and put her in the truck. She was limp as I carried her.

The STBX had already called the vet and they were ready for us. I carried the pup into the vet's office and laid her on the examination table. The vet came in and his expression said it all. He prepared the hypodermic needle and they shaved her leg. I signed the papers at 3:32PM.

He injected a pinkish liquid into the big vein in her leg. She did not react. He checked her heart with a stethoscope. Both the STBX and I touched her and soothed her. At 3:35PM the vet said "she's gone".

I stayed with her body for a while and wept bitter tears. My best buddy and hunting companion of 13+ years is gone. So many golden days of October we prowled the grouse woods of northern Wisconsin. We sat in the woods to rest and I gave her part of my sandwich. I led her to the stream to drink. She slept with her head on my lap.

My world is markedly emptier now. She had been sick for quite some time and it's a miracle she survived her illness (pancreatitus) of earlier this month. She had a good life.

I don't think I'll ever have another dog quite like her.