This is a tough blog to type. My best friend, my dog, died last night. He was a great campanion for the last 9 1/2 years! People love to hear the story about how he chose me one spring evening just outside of Big Bend national park in for southern Texas. I was with my girlfriend traveling from Ft. Davis, Texas back to Austin on my motorcycle. We met up with some friends of mine and decided to spend the night in Marathon at the very cool Gage Hotel. We ate dinner in the outside patio area and enjoyed a great meal with plenty of wine to wash it down. After a bit of stimulating conversation by the fire, in through the front gate walks two mangy, tick covered muts. It was clear they had been there before, and didn't appear to be unwelcome despite their rather "untidy" appearance.
As we watched them slowly making their rounds, we noticed how they were interested in the patrons, but we not begging or bothersome. Eventually, the pair made their way to our table and one in particular, came right up next to me and just looked me in the eye. He was a beautiful dog, resembling a mix of doberman and maybe weimeriner, but very skinny, even malnurished. Someone commented that he looked like a greyhound...he was that skinny.
And there he sat, and just looked at me. Not begging, just gazing at me as if he wanted a conversation. I had a steak bone in front of me and even though it was probably poor form to feed stray dogs in a restaurant, I reached for the steak bone and handed it to the dog. I was wary that he might snap it out of my hand and get a finger along with it by mistake, but to my surprise, he very gently accepted it and layed down right next to me to enjoy it. Everyone at the table commented at how he seemed to be drawn to me and admittedly, he did head straight for me as if to say "so, you and I are supposed to be together, so the next moves are yours".
About that time the waitress appears and says.. "That's Baloo. He's a great dog, isn't he?" We all agreed and asked who he belonged to. Her reply was that he didn't really belong to anyone. She said a person in town sort of took care of him and fed him from time to time, but he didn't have a home and really deserved one. I was a little hyped up on liquid courage (hey, I'm a wino...) and made a brash statement; "If this dog lets me take that bone away from him without bitting me, I'll take him home."
Before that time nearly ten years ago, I never really understood about the relationship between dogs and people. I had pets like most people, but really took for granted the wonderful gift that they give. All they want is to love you. They ask for nothing in return. And if you give them nothing, well....they still love you.
We got Baloo back to Austin and straight to the vet's office. That was on a monday and wasn't ready until Wednesday afternoon. Amazingly, despite removing well over 60 large tics from him, the resulting anemia, and never having been vacinated, Baloo was in perfect health. When I arrived at the vets office to pick him, a few of the vet techs and the receptionist talked about what a neat dog he was and that he quietly howled at them whenever they talked to him. Despite the fact there we several people in the wating room, when they opened the door, Baloo ran straight towards me, jumped against me, tail wagging, ready to go home.
From then until yesterday at 6pm, he was my best friend through thick and thin. I miss him terribly already. I just hope I was a fraction of the friend to him that he was to me.
As we watched them slowly making their rounds, we noticed how they were interested in the patrons, but we not begging or bothersome. Eventually, the pair made their way to our table and one in particular, came right up next to me and just looked me in the eye. He was a beautiful dog, resembling a mix of doberman and maybe weimeriner, but very skinny, even malnurished. Someone commented that he looked like a greyhound...he was that skinny.
And there he sat, and just looked at me. Not begging, just gazing at me as if he wanted a conversation. I had a steak bone in front of me and even though it was probably poor form to feed stray dogs in a restaurant, I reached for the steak bone and handed it to the dog. I was wary that he might snap it out of my hand and get a finger along with it by mistake, but to my surprise, he very gently accepted it and layed down right next to me to enjoy it. Everyone at the table commented at how he seemed to be drawn to me and admittedly, he did head straight for me as if to say "so, you and I are supposed to be together, so the next moves are yours".
About that time the waitress appears and says.. "That's Baloo. He's a great dog, isn't he?" We all agreed and asked who he belonged to. Her reply was that he didn't really belong to anyone. She said a person in town sort of took care of him and fed him from time to time, but he didn't have a home and really deserved one. I was a little hyped up on liquid courage (hey, I'm a wino...) and made a brash statement; "If this dog lets me take that bone away from him without bitting me, I'll take him home."
Before that time nearly ten years ago, I never really understood about the relationship between dogs and people. I had pets like most people, but really took for granted the wonderful gift that they give. All they want is to love you. They ask for nothing in return. And if you give them nothing, well....they still love you.
We got Baloo back to Austin and straight to the vet's office. That was on a monday and wasn't ready until Wednesday afternoon. Amazingly, despite removing well over 60 large tics from him, the resulting anemia, and never having been vacinated, Baloo was in perfect health. When I arrived at the vets office to pick him, a few of the vet techs and the receptionist talked about what a neat dog he was and that he quietly howled at them whenever they talked to him. Despite the fact there we several people in the wating room, when they opened the door, Baloo ran straight towards me, jumped against me, tail wagging, ready to go home.
From then until yesterday at 6pm, he was my best friend through thick and thin. I miss him terribly already. I just hope I was a fraction of the friend to him that he was to me.
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Eeeeva is well. She begins her first series of injections next Thursday so I'm a tad nervous for her but, she's a real trooper and I know she can get through it. She's just such a big baby about everything; she's like a little child that starts crying before the needle is close to the skin.
What's the pup's name?