A Love Story

Nothing moves when I call his name but his eyebrows and a happily wagging tail. Ah… the tail….

Well… the tale began as a disappointment. I was about to receive a chocolate lab like the one I had given away years ago when we had to move the first time and they called from the Burton turn and said , ‘Our friends are going to take her.’. After so many years without a dog, my heart was ready. Knowing that, and also knowing it would take some time to find an adoptive match through Pet Protectors I called Barbara Drinkwater and put in my order: friendly, good with kids, not a barker, pleasant low key breed.

Twenty minutes later she called and asked if someone else from my house had called. ‘No , ‘ I replied. “I live alone”. 

“Well’, she said, “Someone just called and said they had a dog with the exact description you gave.”

She made the connection for me. This was a Friday. I was to meet Buddy’s owners on Monday for a visit. They would come to the house. Sunday night I got a call ; they were just going to have to drop him . I called Barbara in a panic. She assured me if it wasn’t a good fit she would find a home. I should take him when they dropped him off.

He was supposed to be a three year old Golden Retriever in perfect health. He was more like eight, the vet said when he neutered him, and had flea hills so big his ears stood out, ulcers all over his legs from licking himself, and no hair on his hind quarters at all.

He was a mess. Furthermore it was clear he had severe attachment disorder. The people who dropped him off told me he spent about eight hours a day by himself in a field. It showed.This wonderfully social creature had one flaw that was going to change my life completely. He needed to be alone as little as possible.

So the first thank you from the bottom of my heart is to my client families who allowed dearest sweet Buddy to come with me into their homes and let their children use him like a giant pillow, or a horse, or a combination of both.

He wore the cone of shame for over a month and slowly relaxed enough to stop licking absolutely everywhere. The hair on his hind quarters grew back into lovely swirling strawberry blonde curls.

Slowly over the last few months I began to see the signs of age. And this past weekend he began the rapid decline. Tomorrow morning friends will help me take him to the vet. Tonight he gave me the look. You know ‘What’s happening to me?’.

I’ll be up all night. My heart is totally not ready to say good bye. I was hoping for at least three more years. To the end, he has been the most pleasant and low key of dogs. His only fault was growling when he wanted to play. It greatly confused other dogs.

Fortunately here on the Island there are many, many animal people who know these dogs are the companions we dream of having.

My life has been greatly blessed these last six years because of my sweet Buddy. Buddy has been more than a name. It’s the description of how he claimed me as his own.

I’m so glad now as I say good bye that I took him with me everywhere, that I endured his quirks with charm, and that I explained away his social habits, that were off putting to others, as endearing. I rejoice to have been his advocate.

I’ve put the green blanket over him that will carry him out of the house. Not having eaten or drunk for over twenty four hours, he still moves his eyebrows and wags his tail happily when I talk to him. He no longer lifts his head up.

I practiced all day going from room to room without him following me. It will take some getting used to. No, I won’t replace him right away. There is no replacing him.

What’s this? I’m in my office and suddenly he has come in from the bedroom and is standing with tail wagging wanting something. Me. After much resisting while I put water on his lips, and food near his nose, he who has not drunk or eaten for so long wants a bite to eat and some water and a brief turn in the driveway to pee. He does it for me.

He clings to life as dearly as I cling to him with no complaints, only a request to be cared for. That’s all he’s ever asked for. That is why God gave him to me for so many beautiful years. I needed a constant companion for whom I could lavish care and attention.

We cannot talk enough about how the love we receive from our animals makes us truly human. They call us to higher ground. They feed our hearts and mend our hearts and then break our hearts when they leave. 

Once upon a time there was a beautiful Golden Retriever named Buddy who just wanted to have fun and be loved. And he rescued the fair princess who had lost her smile and made her throw the ball …. even if he wouldn’t drop it so she could throw it again. Always remember the dog who needed two balls to play catch!  God Bless you fair friend.

Love,
She who will carry you in her heart forerver