It’s Always Hard to Say Goodbye
If you’ve ever owned and loved a pet and had to have them put down at any time in their life, you know how hard it is to say good bye. It is heartbreaking and brings tears to the most hard-hearted person. No matter how hard we try to hold back the tears, it’s just impossible to do so. And even our vets shed tears when having to put an owner’s pet down because they, too, have invested their hearts and caring into that pet.
And so December 5th, three “parents” said goodbye to little Lexie Starbright. For two years she battled renal failure and finally was too weak to go on any longer. She defied the odds by staying alive much longer than anticipated. But then, this was a Maltese that loved life and everyone in it, and was so full of joy that it was hard to not feel happy around her. I knew from the moment I picked her up as a puppy we would be going home with her, and I’m so glad we did. What a spark of fun she was! That winter we had enough snow to play in [and to make driving a pain] and Lexie thought it was the most fun! running around like crazy! With her snowy white coat and the white of the snow, the only way you could tell where she was was as she was kicking up snow behind her while she was running. And, of course, with the cold brought static electricity so when she rolled around on the couch all of her hair stood out on end! Oh man, was she ever cute! She almost looked like someone’s science experiment!
Seeing her decline over the last two years wasn’t easy; more so for my ex-wife and her husband than for me because I was several states away. But even when I came to visit her I could tell. Somehow, though, she’d always seem to bounce back, but not completely. Each time she was a little less healthy, and when I visited in April it was becoming very apparent that Lexie wouldn’t be around much longer. And when I saw her last Thursday, the decision was made that it was time. It was a hard decision, of course, but the right decision. And so the appointment was made. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to be there.
Little Lexie Starbright, go shine in the heavens my precious one. And go run and play with your brothers and sisters. You will be missed, but you will be in our hearts always. We love you. ❤️
Posted in Pets and tagged pets, rainbow bridge, saying goodbye by Jason with no comments yet.
Where did the time go?
Boy, I just realized how long ago it had been since I posted anything. Time sure gets past you when you’re busy.
There’s not been any major happening in my life. I have taken some photos, but nothing very spectacular and a lot of them I haven’t even taken the time to upload them to my laptop. And I have been using both my cameras for photos, so there is quite a few there. And really, I haven’t even taken the time to review them. That’s pretty sad, you know?
I did get a chance to spend two weeks in Florida at the end of April and the beginning of May. Most of that time, however, was spent visiting friends and my other two dogs. Our wee little Lexie Starbright has been ill for a while now with renal failure, but she is somehow managing to hang on and when she sees me she just perks up like there was nothing wrong with her. I guess it’s that “daddy” thing. I did take quite a few photos of her, but those are on my phone and I haven’t transferred them to my laptop yet [sound familiar?]. I also got photos of Sasha Bean, but again, on my phone. Those I do review often. I haven’t gotten the chance to see much of them over the years, but I love them so very much. I know both are getting to the age where time is limited and they will have to cross the Rainbow Bridge. For pet owners, that is a mixed feeling day; you know they are no longer suffering, but it is hard to let them go. And it will be very hard saying goodbye to them from a distance.
BUT….it is Summer time! Time for photo buffs to get outside and take those photos! Right now, though, here in Texas, not such a good time to do that because of the excessive heat we’ve been having the last few days. However, it won’t last and we’ll just go back to our regular hot days – the ones we complain about and wish we had cooler weather until we GET that cooler weather! But there’s still lots to take photos of regardless. Grab those cameras, or your cell phone, and snap away at the kids swimming in the pool [and maybe the dog in the pool with them!], or those flowers with the bees zipping from one to another, or maybe you can try to snap a humminbird getting a drink of nectar. I say try because it isn’t the easiest to do even for a professional photographer! My friend Peter lives in Idaho and a year ago he was taking macro photos of insects which were stunning to say the least. But then, with the encouragement from a friend, and a new lens for his camera, he moved on to our nation’s bird, the eagle, and he got some really spectacular photos! Lately, he’s been capturing owls, and let me tell you, I am j e a l o u s! Now I’m trying to get him to put a book together of some of his photos. We’ll see!
So, look around and see what there is to see, even if it’s buildings, or cars new and old, flags, signs, whatever is around you. I once took a photo of signs in my neighborhood that were a bit strange. When you first turned into the subdivision you were greeted with a sign that said Speed Limit 30 MPH, which in itself was really funny because the distance from turning in to the subdivision to the stop sign was about 30 feet. And then there was a sign about children playing, or something like that because there was an elementary school across the street along with a baseball diamond. THAT sign was across the street from the stop sign. Take photos like that and have fun with them.
The whole purpose though IS to have fun. If it’s not fun, obviously don’t do it!
In the meantime, here is a photo of my little guy Roby just before we left the dog park, one of his favorite places to go. It was taken just a couple of months ago. I hope that you enjoy it!
Roby Lincoln
A good job dog – who steals socks!
Posted in Personal Thoughts, Pets, Reflections by Jason with no comments yet.
Remembering Lily
Lily. LilyCatherine. LilyCat. Kennel Cop.
Our little Independent dog born on the 4th of July.
Little Lily came to us as a rehome. We said we would find a new home for her, but we decided she would stay with us and be part of our family. I’m glad we did.
This cute, funny, charming little Yorkiepoo had a way of wrapping herself around your heart before you knew what was happening. Oh, how she loved to play “escape artist” and she was very good at it, too! And when she managed to escape she was so proud of herself she danced around in circles egging you on to chase her. You see, Lily had a very bad case of separation anxiety. It didn’t matter if you were standing on the other side of a gate and she could see you. Oh no! She wanted to be on the same side of the gate you were on. And there was one style of gate she figured out how to climb and get across. She was smart! The first night we had her we put her in a crate at bedtime, but she wasn’t having any of it, and next thing we knew she was up on the bed dancing around! Back into the crate little one. Nope! Didn’t take but 30 seconds and she was out again! The third time, though, was too much of a charm and darling Lily got her foot stuck in the door and I almost had to break her foot to get it out. After that Lily slept on the bed with the rest of the crew. And let me tell you, if she ever got out the front door it was next to impossible to catch her – she was quick on those little four feet!
As charming and sweet and lovable as she was, she also could swear a sailor down to a whimpering mess at her toes. I don’t know where she picked up that language, but boy could she swear! And she would tell you off in no uncertain terms, too. She would swear until she spit, sometimes. Honestly!
All Lily wanted was to be loved. And she was definitely loved by everyone she met. That was the charming side of her. It was hard to not love her; the moment you saw her, you were hooked. But she was really conservative with her kisses, unless she wanted something. Of course, she would never tell you what she wanted, so you would have to guess. It was her game! I guessed a lot! I figured out her favorite treat was teeny Greenies. Perfect sized for her little mouth. She had a prominent underbite but she could chew things with the best of them!
I have to say that sleeping with her, once we were on our own, was a hit and miss thing. I kept a bed pillow next to me where she would sleep sometimes, but it was always special to wake up and find her little head resting on my shoulder and hearing her little “congested” snoring sound in my ear. Those were the times I hated having to get up because I didn’t want to ruin that special moment with her.
In the beginning we used to take “chair naps” where she would lay on a pillow on my lap for a couple of hours. And oh, how I heard about it when I would put another dog on my lap for one of those naps. After a while I got to where I would just hold one in my arms while the other slept on the pillow. It beat the cussing out!
As much as she liked to escape, she did not like going for walks. I hate to say, but I called her “slow as a slug”. It wasn’t that she wanted to take in all of the smells. Nope! She just didn’t want to go for a walk, either by herself, with Bentley, or with Bentley and a friend. Those walks were basically “carries”. She loved being out, just not out on a leash going for a walk. The best part of a walk with her was her getting back home. But, she did like one thing being outside …..sunbathing. And she really loved doing that, even in the heat of the Summer. I could be melting, but she was just happy sitting in the sunshine – until Daddy nearly would faint.
Kennel Kop. The vet learned early on that Lily was an escape artist and had to take extra measures to block her cage door so that she couldn’t open it. Nothing like looking around and finding a little Yorkie at your feet when you were sure she was in a cage a minute ago! I never saw it for myself, but the vet’s told me that Lily would “direct traffic” so to speak when she was there. It was probably more like demanding that she be paid attention to and wanted petting. Oh, she could be annoying, but heartwarming at the same time. It was hard to ignore her! She wasn’t tiny, she was small, but she had a very large presence in everyone’s life.
Shortly before Bentley crossed the Rainbow Bridge Lily was diagnosed with diabetes, and that meant that she had to have shots of insulin. Oh lucky me, because I tend to feel faint around needles. It did not get any easier for me giving her the shots, either. It had to be done, but it was not easy, even using the pen. Eventually I had to go to using syringes for her, but that was hard on both of us. She took it like the trooper she was, though. Especially since she knew a treat would follow. God bless her, she always held so still for me, making it just a wee bit better for both of us.
But, after Bentley crossed, a little bit of Lily went with him. Because I wanted to spend some time alone with him, Lily was at the vet at the time he crashed and had to be put down [remember, he had lymphoma of the spleen]. After he was gone we brought her in to smell him so that she would know he was gone. She was 12 at the time. And for her it was a slow decline afterward. So, while she had diabetes, her thyroid also decided to give up, so we added medication for that. And six months after Bentley left, her eyesight began to go, a result of cataracts, but she wasn’t a candidate for surgery, so over time she she became nearly blind as well.
I knew she was lonely, so six months after Bentley’s crossing I started looking for another dog, mostly as a companion for her, but for me as well. I thought I had found a Schnauzer at a rescue group and Lily felt very comfortable around him, even laying next to him while his foster mother and I talked. It wasn’t to be, though, I suppose because I live in an apartment. I felt so sorry for her because she had never got close to another dog like she did with him. So, I kept looking, and several months later Roby fell into my lap.
I think that getting a puppy wasn’t a good thing for her, but it was a very good thing for me. Roby, like any puppy, wanted so much to play with her, and I think she would have loved to have played with him if she could have seen him, but he was more of a burden to her instead. Even with two days a week at the “vet spa”, she just couldn’t really cope with him and I couldn’t get him to stop pulling her ears and tugging her around like a mop. Lily finally decided it was time to go find Bentley.
So, a year ago, our precious little Yorkipoo that looked like a Yorkie crossed the Rainbow Bridge leaving behind lots of tears and broken hearts. Oh, I have missed her so. I still look for her, and tear up when I think of her or see photos I took of her. A little dog that was bigger than life that only wanted to be loved. And I love her still.
Posted in Personal Thoughts, Perspectives, Pets, Reflections by Jason with no comments yet.
Going to the Park
With the advent of cooler weather it was time to get out and take Roby to the dog park. I have to admit that I was apprehensive at first because I didn’t know if he would be scared of all the dogs or he would be aggressive toward some of them. My little adventurous puppy was neither! Shy at first, he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, but after a few dogs came up to him and were friendly Roby opened up and found a couple of dogs his size to run and play chase with. And boy, did he ever run hard! stretching those little legs out as far as they would go. I don’t know, but it was almost like seeing him “fly” – he was free to run as fast as he could chasing, playing, and a couple of times tumbling. It was so fun watching him have fun!
We now have been four times, going on Sunday’s late afternoon. This Sunday, when we got up and during our wake up snuggle, I asked him if he’d like to go to the park. Whoa! PERK! Those ears stood up and he sat back and looked at me and I asked, “yes, would you like to go to the park?” He definitely knows that word and what it means for him. Excitement galore engulfed him and every inch of him started to wiggle, along with excited barking. I wasted no time getting him ready. And myself, too. Once he did his business, he headed to the car and barked to get in.
Now, he does not like riding in the back seat of the car, but it’s necessary because he’s too big to hold and I can’t see around him while driving. Plus, he once gave me a slight concussion when jumping from the passenger seat into my lap! So, into the back seat with him. Only problem there is he cries and whimpers because he’s not close to me. And in a closed car he is LOUD!
Once we got there, it was pandemonium in the back seat. Bouncing puppy, happy barking, paws on the window – he wanted out NOW. After I got him out he basically dragged me to the small dog area. Roby was ready to play. And play he did. He ran hard, chasing and being chased, and meeting new friends. For an hour. He had the best time playing and I had the best time watching him and talking with other humans. Oh, of course, I was greeted by other wonderful furkids. Did I ever mention I love dogs? When it was time to go, Roby was ready. He was so tired I had to lift him into the car. On the way home, it was quiet in the back seat. Roby was worn out and it was nap time when we got home.
I’m glad Roby is enjoying the dog park. I took Bentley once, but it was not a good experience. A little girl ran toward us and he lunged out at her. He didn’t bite her, but it upset me enough that that was the one and only time I took him to the dog park. The only other time he went [well, it was a couple of times, actually] he didn’t play with the other dogs, he just stayed to himself and close to Rebecca. I think Bentley just enjoyed playing with his sisters at home and didn’t care to play elsewhere. And that was okay. Roby, though, has no one but me to play with, so it’s important for him to get out and around other dogs of other sizes. The dog park is the perfect place for him. At least he gets to really stretch his legs once a week.
Posted in Pets by Jason with no comments yet.
He Survived!
Well, despite dad having a nervous breakdown, Roby did great with his very first haircut! I decided that for the first go round I didn’t want a lot cut off him, but that he definitely needed a good face trimming, especially around the eyes. [His face turned out really well, I think.] And I also didn’t want anything done to his beautiful tail. The groomer did a really good job and said that there were a couple of things that Roby didn’t like or wasn’t sure of; he definitely didn’t like having his toenails trimmed and when it came time for the clippers he was rather shy but the groomer let him sniff the clippers and then waited until Roby was okay with them. Even though there wasn’t a lot of cutting that happened, I am completely satisfied with the way Roby’s cut turned out and I am looking forward to the next haircut which will most likely be in November. Let me say, we were both exhausted after that day and the nap we took was hard and long!
He’s still my fuzzy boy – for right now!
Posted in Pets by Jason with no comments yet.
Nine Months Old!
It’s hard to believe Roby is 9 months old because he seems so grown up now; I have a hard time remembering he’s still a puppy. Oh, we still have lots of puppy play, and he still tests his limits, but he learns fast. I think his favorite thing to do right now is jump from his bed on the floor up to my chair and then back down. He can do this over and over again and one time almost went flying over the top of the chair! I’m glad I was sitting in the chair at the time he did it or he could have really hurt himself.
He’s still a happy puppy and when we go out for walks he’s beside himself when he sees his favorite people. His tail wags so fast I’m almost positive it’s going to come off his backside! Of course, he still barks a lot on our walks, which can get to be embarrassing, especially at 1:00 or 2:00 AM. I guess he just has a lot to say and doesn’t mind saying it! I hope he always stays as happy as he is now. I have to admit, I’m a sucker for his grinning smile.
He definitely needs a haircut. That is still his puppy coat, but the good news is that he is getting his first haircut this coming Monday. I pity the poor guy that is going to cut him, knowing how resistant Roby is to new things. It is really going to be a challenge. I kind of like his scruffiness, but his hair is beginning to mat now, so it’s time. I’ve been brushing him, but that isn’t an easy chore, and he most definitely doesn’t like his belly being brushed. I have this vision of this little dog coming back half groomed with razor burns all over, and through no fault of the groomer. So, we shall see, we shall see.
Posted in Pets by Jason with no comments yet.
The Rainbow Bridge
I’ve had dogs all my life and it is never easy having to say goodbye to one at the end of their life, and so it was today. This little girl didn’t have the best beginnings in life and my wife and agreed to take her and rehome her to someone. But, we couldn’t. This sweetheart, named Daisy at the time, stole our hearts and giving her up to someone else became out of the question. She was ours forever, good or bad. But it was all good. She was sweet, funny, smart, demanding, and begging to be loved. And love her we did. How could you not?
She had a bigger than life presence and let you know about it. She also had horrible separation anxiety from the get-go, with a ton of swear words to go with it and didn’t mind spouting them off if you tried to leave her behind, even if it was just to go to another room. She let our other dogs know she was in the house to stay and she was bound and determined to be alpha dog despite the fact there were a number ahead of her in line. And she was quick to bite them if they got too close or tried to take something of her. So quick we actually called her movement “the snake”. Oh yes, she nailed us a couple of times, too, but she never meant it. I think!
She was definitely mommy and daddy’s little girl and loved us both so much. She loved sleeping with us, usually between us, and as close as she could get. After our divorce and once I moved into this apartment, Lily loved sleeping with her head on my left shoulder. It was something so special that moving was out of the question, even if my shoulder went to sleep. When I started sleeping in my easy chair because of my back and hips, she slept on my right leg, sometimes by my left leg, and when she did that brother Bentley usually ended up on the couch or on the floor. Her bestest friend in the whole world was Bentley, and they played endlessly. Until Bentley’s cancer caught up with him, and even then, the few days before he died, she tried hard to get him to play to no avail.
After Bentley crossed the Rainbow Bridge last year he took some of Lily with him, and her health began to slowly deteriorate. She already had pancreatitis before he died, but she developed diabetes and then her eyesight began to fail because of cataracts. She was just 13 then. Soon, she became blind except to light, so she could see movement. She never really came out of her depression, but she did perk up some and I began looking for another dog. I hoped to have found one that she could play with, even being mostly sightless, but it wasn’t to be, and then puppy Roby came into our lives. While he was good for me, I’m not so sure he was all that good for her because he was like all puppies – rough and tumble and full of play with razor blade teeth. She couldn’t see him, but gamely tried to play “teeth” with him only to find him pulling her hair and her ears and yanking her around the floor until I stepped in and stopped him.
And then her health really took a turn with her pancreatitis flaring up a lot and becoming dehydrated a lot. Lots of IV fluids and medicines to keep her going. And the little Yorkiepoo with the beautiful hair started losing it, as many an older dog will, and then we found her thyroid wasn’t doing its job, so another medicine. And LilyCatherine stepped on the path to the Rainbow Bridge. All I wanted was for her to make it to her 14th birthday on July 4th. We weren’t sure. But she made it and seemed strong – for a while – only to falter again and again.
LilyCatherine was telling us it was time to go, that she was tired. She was done. My strong, brave little girl tried for me, but I couldn’t be selfish for her. After discussions with her two vets we decided it was time for her to cross the Rainbow Bridge on September 7th. It was not to be. Over the weekend, LilyCat stopped eating, although she continued to drink. She was telling me and so it was decided that August 31st, 2021 she would cross the Rainbow Bridge and go find her bestest friend who would be waiting for her.
I will miss this cute, sweet and loving little Yorkiepoo, but I am so grateful we were blessed and graced with her soul while it was here. I told her while kissing her between her eyes: “Lily, this is where God kissed you when he sent you here to us and God has kissed you here telling you it’s time to come back Home”. And so it was.
I am so grateful to the dedicated and loving vets, techs, and staff at City Vet Addison [TX] for their care and love that they have shown LilyCatherine over the years and especially over the last eighteen months and for their compassion and kindness they have shown me over the last few months. A hard transition for all of us, but made easier by these special people.
Posted in Pets by Jason with no comments yet.
My Puppy Roby
My dear little Roby is 5 months old now and already seems like an adult dog, but he’s not. I have to remind myself that he is just a puppy; he’s just growing so quickly! Last Wednesday he weighed in at 13.4 pounds, and that was up from 12.8 pounds on May 26th! It’s like lifting a wiggling brick, or trying to hold on to a large fish you just caught. Every day, though, I am just totally amazed at this little guy and still wonder how I got so lucky to have him in my life. Sure, he gets into things like most puppies do [he’s a master paper and box shredder!] and does things he shouldn’t [like try to pull his 14 year old blind sister’s tongue out of her head], but he’s really a delight to have around. Oh, yes, he talks incessantly, too, even on his walks. Sometimes it’s embarrassing, especially when we’re walking late at night and everyone has gone to bed. It’s like he’s saying, “Wake up! Roby-boy is here now!”. And most of my apartment complex knows him because he’s so danged friendly – and because of his barking. He loves people. Heck, he loves life in general! He is an incredibly happy dog! Like I said, how did I get so lucky!
Roby loves to watch television, and his favorite commercial is the Bravecto Flea & Tick Protection for dogs. The minute that comes on, he’s at the tv barking like crazy and wagging his tail so hard I’m afraid he’ll disconnect it! He also watched the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes horse races – actually watching with interest. That was pretty cool. Unfortunately there are a lot of shows he doesn’t like and he lets me know because he won’t stop barking. That means either the tv goes off or I find another show to watch. And, oh dear, animal vet shows….well, it’s hit or miss with him; some he likes, most he doesn’t.
One of his favorite activities is going down to the leasing office after hours and playing in the water fountain. He barks, he lunges, he gets soaked from head to tail, but he’s having the time of his life. [Of course, when it comes to a bath, or in his case shower, like most dogs, that’s a no-no!] And then he starts to walk away and I think he’s done, but nooooo, he runs right back at the fountain and starts again! He definitely keeps me laughing!
If the last three months are any indication, it’s going to be an incredibly fantastic ride with this Schnorkie!
Posted in Pets by Jason with no comments yet.
An Interesting Few Months
It has been an interesting time since last November. The two biggest changes in my life happened between then and now. First, in November, I got a new camera. It’s a Nikon Coolpix P950 and there is a TON to learn about this camera. Right now I’m still at the point and shoot stage, but that’s okay because it’s where you start to learn about a new camera. It won’t be long before I am messing around with all it has to offer.
One of the neat things is that I can take hand held photos of the moon. Now, granted, the photos would look better if I used a tripod and a timer or remote, but just being able to capture something that far away hand held is pretty exciting.
I was pretty excited when I saw that. I think most everyone that enjoys taking photos wishes they could take photos of the moon. I could many years ago using a tripod, but that was with my Canon, and back then I had pretty good conditions for taking moon shots. And, FWIW, that is a zoom shot, but at only half the distance the camera is capable of taking. Anything beyond that would definitely need a tripod.
And it’s pretty good, too, for other kinds of photos that I enjoy taking, such as head shots of ducks.
It’s going to be an interesting Summer learning the ins and outs of this camera, and I am looking forward to it.
The other change in my life has been my new Schnorkie puppy. What a delight he has been! I got him right before the big Texas storm, but wasn’t able to pick him up until the weekend after when all of the snow was gone. It was a good 3 hour round trip and he had never been in a car until that day so I ended up holding him for about 45 minutes of the drive back. That made for a great bonding time and now he sticks close to me as much as possible. He loves sleeping next to me, and sometimes in my arms, too. It didn’t take long for him to learn to give good kisses, but sometimes those kisses come with razorblade “toofies”. Although he knows his name I think he thinks his name is NO. The neat thing about this puppy is that not only is he full of life, he is also enjoying life. He loves meeting people – and barking at them – and just plain playing, whether it be inside or outside. He has brought a lot of happiness back into my life, and has also gotten me up out of the chair and moving again. [Hopefully that will help me lose the weight I have gained since losing Bentley and with the COVID-19 lockdown.] I still miss Bentley tremendously, and will for quite a while, but this little guy fills a void right now. As for Lily, well, she’s not all that happy about having a rambunctious 3 month old puppy crawling all over her and pulling her hair, especially since she’s blind now. I think she’d like to pack her bags and move in with her mommy in Florida!
And then there was the storm that took out Texas. We knew it was a powerful storm and all of Texas took precautions for such, but no one had an inkling that we were going to be dealing with prolonged power outages, with lows around 0° and tons of snow. It was cold, there was no doubt about it! And while we were dealing with the power being out and trying to find food, the old water pipes slowly froze; and when they started to thaw back out, lots of burst pipes and spewing water. I was one of the lucky ones because my little quad of apartments had no burst pipes, hence no water damage, but others in my complex weren’t so lucky and faced flooding and damaged belongings and living spaces. Many have had to move out temporarily while repairs are being made and others moved because the damage was very extensive. Cold water came back on shortly after the power came back, but it was nearly two weeks before hot water was restored here. Lily and I stayed toasty warm under piles of blankets and I read quite a bit thanks to a torch flashlight. This is definitely not an event I would like to experience again. Once was enough.
And now it is Spring, the flowers are blooming, the redbuds and dogwoods are flowering, and the birds, bees, squirrels and insects are all dashing about doing their thing. You would never know that storm was just a few weeks ago, if you relied on the weather to tell you.
“Spring is Nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!'” —– Robin Williams
Posted in Pets by Jason with no comments yet.
Goodbye to my Buddy
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving 2006 my wife and I took a ride into South Oklahoma to see Autumn leaf colors and maybe get some photos. It was a bright sunny day, and we did get a few photos, and stopped at a nice place to eat a late lunch. On our way home we passed through McKinney, Tx and decided to stop at their Third Monday Trade Days. Maybe not as popular as Canton’s First Monday Trade Days, but popular nonetheless; it was a good hide around the place.
Before we left I asked if we could stop by and see the puppies, an area we passed by previously, so we walked back over there. There weren’t a lot of dogs, and I don’t remember what breeds there were because my eye was “snatched” by three little Schnauzer mix puppies – two salt and pepper boys and one sable colored boy. I picked up all three but my heart zoomed in on the little sable colored one. Strong-willed, cute, and he had gorgeous coloring. I just couldn’t pass this little fellow up. I know, I know, not a place anyone should buy a dog, especially a puppy, but this little guy…I just couldn’t help it. So, for the whopping price of $150, we brought home an eight week old Schnorkie puppy that we named Bentley. This little puppy ended up with a BIG name: Bentley Astin Martin Robertson-Scott. [Yeah, I know, but it was a cute name to go with the cute dog.] Unfortunately, the little fellow caught a major cold that took months to cure. And, after that, he was a pretty healthy dog.
How our world changed with him. He wasn’t a destructive puppy, but he did have his moments like all puppies do. He certainly kept us laughing. Whenever my wife would scold him he would sit down in front of her and “talk back” to her. Of course, keeping a straight face was incredibly hard and we weren’t always successful. He loved making us laugh, and it usually involved some toy; he was definitely a “play boy”. My ex-wife liked calling him “Goofy Boy”, and I suppose he was.
When we divorced, it was hard on all of us. We had five dogs at the time. Bentley, my dear boy, did his best to comfort me, staying close by and “kissing” my face often. Most times he would sleep around my feet or under the bed, but when we separated he started sleeping close to my left leg. Occasionally I would wake up to find his head on my chest or shoulder.
Hard times followed over the next several years, but he was always close by making sure I was okay. His mommy, my ex, came to visit him [and one of our other dogs that I have] at least once a year and each time he saw her, he was ecstatic. He really loved his mommy.
He was a charmer. Oh, how he loved women! And somehow they always really liked – or loved – him. He loved kissing them! And durn him, he had a lot of girlfriends. Guys were okay, but he just loved women, probably because they reminded him of his mommy. When we were out walking and he’d see his girlfriends he would just get so excited and wiggly and would pull me along until he got to them. And they were always so happy to see him. I was just so much “fodder”.
And then, one week after his 13th birthday in September he started running a high fever, so off to the vet we went. And he had to stay for a few days. Some antibiotics, fluids, and an X-ray later he had some suspicious spots on his spleen. A CAT scan confirmed cancer of the spleen. My heart sank. So, off to the oncologist for him for chemotherapy. Sadly, this type of cancer is almost always terminal, so I knew this was going to end badly at some point.
Amazingly, he did quite well in the beginning and was always happy to head into his chemo treatments and see all the ladies there. Mr. upbeat and happy spun his charms just like always and captured the hearts of more women, including his oncologist. And you would never know he had cancer and was undergoing chemo. In November he went into partial remission. He felt good and was sassy and playful and always loving. And he loved to tell me and anyone else that would listen all about it. A new protocol was introduced and he was holding his own over the holidays. I was always watchful, though. Just in case.
The new year brought little changes in his attitude and condition. It was hard to believe that he had cancer. January and February passed with only a few concerns – his blood levels were still low, which was persistent throughout this. And then it was March, and I was looking forward to taking him out to a park where we could just hang out and maybe play a bit. It wasn’t to be, however.
March 3rd started out much as any other day and we went through our day with no problems. In the afternoon while getting the mail we came across a woman walking her dog and Bentley started charming her, barking and wiggling. That was the last time I heard him bark. That night, though, while getting ready for bed, he collapsed. He just went down on to his stomach, and when I asked him what was wrong he gave me a confused look and I helped him up to his feet and made sure he wouldn’t collapse again. He started to walk off and I noticed his hind right leg was not cooperating and he stopped and held it up. I went over and picked him up and carried him too the couch and talked with him for a few minutes and then took him to the bed room and laid him on the bed. He took his bedtime medicine with no problems, and went to sleep. Sometime during the night, though, he got up and got off the bed, probably to get a drink. I woke up to find him on the floor next to my side of the bed; I suppose he wasn’t able to get back up on the bed, even though there was a way for him to do so without having to jump. I put him back up on the bed and we went back to sleep, with him sleeping next to my shoulder – a favorite place for both of us.
Wednesday was a quiet day. We went for several walks and he did his business with no problems, but he wasn’t himself. No barking at people or other dogs. It was a chemo day and he did well, but they also noticed that he didn’t bark. However, he did give his oncologist kisses on her hand; apparently those were the last ones he gave to anyone, including myself. That night he didn’t eat, but he did take his medicine, although not exactly happy about it.
On Thursday I took our other dog to the vet to board for a few days because I wanted to spend some alone time with him. Bentley and I didn’t do much that day, but I spent a lot of time sitting in my chair with him watching tv. He got up a couple of times and jumped up on the couch to lay on his pillow. When we went out for our walks, he was again not quite himself, but did his business as usually and then wanted to come back in right away. He just had no energy, which was becoming very obvious and very concerning. And that night he refused to take his medicine and I didn’t force it. He slept all night without getting up.
Friday morning, he seemed worse, but jumped up on the couch on his pillow. When the oncologist called to check on him [they usually called two days after his chemo] I told them about his “episode” and that he refused to take his medicine. After a discussion they told me he needed to take one of his pills and to call them back afterward. When I tried to give it to him, he tried to bite me, something he had never done before, and it was startled. However, I noticed his gums were white, so when I called the oncologist back they asked me to take a picture of his gums and text it to them. Alarming, to say the least. The called and told me to bring him in in an hour for a blood transfusion – or two. He would have to stay for several days to stabilize. In we went and after the usual preliminaries, the took him off to the ER to start his transfusion. Once they got him set up I went back to let him see me, and I left and told him I would see him soon, probably later that afternoon. I left and drove to the vet in order to give them directions for Lily’s haircut [the vet is just down the street so on my way home.] While there I got a phone call from the oncologist. They did a blood test before the transfusion and Bentley had no neutrophils. He was basically bleeding internally and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Bentley’s journey was over.
The vet sent a tech out to get him from the oncologist; she realized there was no way I would be able to drive there safely to get him. While I waited in one room they set him up in another room and then I went over to be with him. Although he was probably bleeding into his brain, he was still very aware of what was happening. They left us alone for a few minutes, and we said our goodbyes. I told him no more needles, no more photos, and he was going to be feeling really good in just a little bit. The vet, her tech, and I laid our hands on him while he passed, letting him know he wasn’t alone. We all cried. The dynamic charmer with the loving personality gently left this world and crossed the Rainbow Bridge on March 6th, 2020 around 1:30 PM.
What a blessing to my life he had been!
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