Lucky Dogs!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Yesterday, I woke up to the news that Rudy had died.  Rudy was a dog I wrote a blog about and he touched many of our hearts. 

http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/rudy

His owners decided they wanted to travel after their kids had moved out and no longer wanted Rudy and at the age of six he lost the only home he had ever known.  So many of us could not understand how traveling anywhere could be more important than our dog. Luckily, he ended up with the DRC and his foster parents became foster failures when they adopted him.  All this has happened when I have been thinking a lot about the misfortunes of some dogs and the luck of others.  Every day when I get on Facebook, I see many posts about dogs that have ended up in neglectful situations, lost dogs, chained dogs, or dogs that need our help.  Some days it is enough to make me want to close up my computer and go back to bed.  You can’t even escape it on TV because throughout the day they play that heartbreaking ad for the ASPCA and the faces of those animals almost makes me cry.  As soon as I hear the music that goes along with that commercial, I want to flip the channel and avoid the feeling it gives me every single time. 

 

I had to drop Fudge off at the vet on Tuesday at 8 am. She had her teeth cleaned and I wanted to get something that has been bothering her on the left side of her mouth checked out. I didn’t get to pick her up until 6-8 pm.  I haven’t had to leave Fudge at the vet since she was spayed and to say neither or us were happy would be an understatement.  She didn’t want to go back with the vet tech and kept looking back at me to let me know that she never expected this from me and I left feeling sad and guilty.  The good news for Fudge was I went back to pick her up.  In fact, Vern and I felt a little lost all day without her.  I was surprised how much I missed her wacko energy on our walk and Vern walked along with less spring in his step.  We didn't like being the Two Musketeers and Laurie and Vern doesn't sound nearly as good to our ears as Laurie, Fudge, and Vern. Now, I know in my head that this was really no big deal and I wasn’t sending her off to college and going to get back a dog at school breaks that insisted she was grown up now and curfews were a thing of the past. I remember when Megan left for college and John and I walked around for days feeling like someone had died.  I cried when Megan left and cried even more when I went into her room and looked around at the mess she had left me to clean up. No, this wasn’t like that at all, it was just Fudge going in for a routine “tune up”, but I still missed her and couldn’t wait to go get her.    Fudge doesn’t know it, but she is one of the lucky ones, because I will always go back for her.

 

Monday night, before the teeth cleaning, I was talking to Vern while making dinner. He was sitting there staring at me and silently pleading for a piece of cheese.  I couldn’t help but smile and when I said, “Vern, how did I get so lucky to get me a Vern?  I must have done something really great to end up with a big ol’ Vern,” he actually smiled back and wagged his tail.  I told him I felt the same way about Fudge. She was too busy sleeping to care about this revelation, but later when she got up to eat her dinner at 11:00 pm, she had no idea how relieved I was because I had been staying up hoping she ate before I had to pull her food and water dish at midnight. The thought of her being hungry all night and at the vet’s did not sit well with me.  Vern got up that night and the only reason I know that was because I vaguely remember hearing John tell him he was a pain in the posterior and hearing Vern’s tail thump in agreement.  Many nights while John is reading his Kindle in bed I will hear him laugh as Vern nudges him with his nose to let him know he is there.  Vern has a real need to know we are there and often just stops by our room to make sure.  Sometimes, he will just find you throughout the day and if I stop what I am doing and sit on the couch with him, he almost always puts his paw around me to say thanks. I consider this to be one of those times I need to “stop and smell the roses,” or in Vern’s case, “stop and smell Vern.”  Vern really doesn’t know how lucky he is that we find all of his traits so endearing, even at 1 am.

 

For the most part, all of our dogs on DK got lucky and I think that is another thing this website gives all of us…a place to come where other dog lovers “get it” when we talk about the goofy things we do for our dogs.  Most of us were horrified that Rudy’s original owners were so selfish, but in the end, Rudy got lucky, too.  He died knowing how it is supposed to be for our dogs. My own mother says I have a screw loose when it comes to my dogs and when she tells me that, I probably confirm her opinion when I pretend to talk like Fudge and Vern and say, “grandma is dumb.” I also want to say that some dogs get very lucky because of the rescue organizations and the people involved who work tirelessly to save dogs, when others of us just want to look away from the TV commercials and the FB entries and hug our own dogs. Not all dogs get lucky the first time around or maybe ever, but I am thankful for the ones who get a second chance, just like Rudy. RIP, sweet boy, and know that I will be making a donation to animal rescue in your honor.  I urge all of you to do the same. Happy Holidays to those of you who make your own dog lucky every single day!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I am sorry to hear about Rudy, he must not have been old but he died having a loving family. I know just what you mean about Fudge and Vern. I don't know which is worse, taking one in for something or both. In a way I should feel free as a bird but really I don't feel settled until they are both home safely.