OT Today's the day....Mercury

Jennifer, presently drying tears on dachshund ears

OMG, aren't the ears great for that? (no good for blowing your nose,
though)

I'm sure the Chubas (I & II) will want to meet him. They were both
Samoyed mixes, so they can compare stories about how fun it was to get
dirty and make the hoomins wash all that fluff :-) Not to mention
shedding, which we wont mention.

Oh gawd, the SHEDDING. I would show people on the street how they shed
(by pulling out a chunk the size of a typewriter), and folks would
faint right there on the sidewalk. We're going to be fidning dog hair
here for YEARS.........(I also saved some)

Dr. Sooz wrote:
"there was a LOT of howling, jeez. And I'm
not sure, but I think they were serving cat-poop pizza.......barfing"


HAW HAW HAW HAW
My Baron probably showed up then -- a favorite treat...

I was glad when he got too old to climb the stairs, shortly after we
got the cat..... (the cat box was upstairs...)

Cheryl

My condolences, and I'd like to thank you for a job well done. You
helped bring Mercury into this world, it was only fitting for you to
be his companion as he left it. I'm so glad you got him in time for
his hour of need - his last months with you were probably the most
restful he's ever had. It was Right that he got the Merc-centered
time he deserved.

May you only find peace and contentment when you remember Merc's
passing. I'm sure that he is thanking you from the Rainbow Bridge,
wagging his tail in a most dignified way.

Kathy N-V

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 0:57:05 -0400, Dr. Sooz wrote
(in message . com):

He exited this world with his head in my arms, in our living room in
the sun, as brave and dignified as he was ALWAYS. I told him over and
over that he was a good boy. He was wonderful. He KNEW. He really
knew, and he knew I was taking care of him one last time.

Kevin had never seen a dog be put to sleep before, but he was
fantastic. I wrapped Merc with the blanket we'd put him on, covering
his face -- but it seemed wrong somehow. Then I remembered! He loved
to lie with most of his body under my bed, thinking we couldn't see him
-- but with his little nose sticking out, the goon! So I uncovered his
nose. It was perfect.

I'll get his ashes in a box -- and FUNK UP THAT BOX as fab as he'd
want. I've already started collecting the stuff for it. He's rocking,
he's the King of the Rainbow Bridge tonight! I'm sure his auntie
Zephyr tried to sit on him (as she did when he was a pup!), but he
probably flew, howling, with her still sitting on his back. Go, Merc,
GO!

Thank you, EVERYONE. I'm so tired of crying that I just took a nice
hunk o'Valium, and I know I'll get a little break tonight from the
grief because of that. (I need it, and some sleep.) ~~~I MISS HIM.

Sooz,
I'm so sorry. I'm saying a prayer for all of you.

Hugs,
Debbie (New Mexico)

"Dr. Sooz" wrote in message
ups.com...
Today is the day he will be free.

Between 6:30 pm Pacific Time and 7:00-ish, this sweet little guy is
going to be released from the burden of his flesh. His life has been
so good, and full of so much love. He's been thrilled, chilled
(*snow!*), filled with good food and lots of affection.

In the past 40 hours, he's gone downhill fast. Last night he and I had
a long conversation (you know what I mean), and it was clear to both of
us what needed to be done. It was obvious that he had entered a new
realm -- one that included pain (and more). This was not acceptable;
there were other sudden failings of his body, too. (This, even though
he's on new and powerful meds, which seemed to help for the beginning
of the week but now have failed.)

We'd thought he'd last a few more weeks, even months, but he won't. It
was remarkable that, immediately upon my decision that this was IT and
we had to do something, he became much more relaxed. He was able to
sleep more comfortably and move around a bit better -- he KNEW. He
knew he was going to be taken care of properly, that mom wasn't going
to let "It" hurt him anymore. Since then he's stuck to me like glue,
too, cuddly, sweet, and huggy -- very unlike his usual husky autonomy.

The weather today couldn't be more beautiful, and every garden seems to
have been zapped by radiation -- what explosions of bloom! Our walkie
was incredible. He and I are slightly overmedicated today: Merc so
he's not hurting and hobbled by weakness, and me so I don't have the
loop of stress/increased pain/sobbing all day. I wanted us to enjoy
his last day on Earth, not cry and feel sick and weak and miserable.
We are definitely doing the best we can.

He will exit this existence and go to his next one here, at home --
we've arranged for a vet to come to the house. I believe they'll do it
in their vehicle. That's good -- so much better than the hospital!
He'll be immediately greeted by profusions of huge joy by his compadres
across the Rainbow Bridge -- there are so MANY of them!!! He's had so
many doggie friends! He'll be free of his hurts, and his beautiful
self will expand to fill the endless space of his giant heart.

We love him so much. Please think of him with joy this evening,
wherever you are, and help him on his way.

Love,
Sooz

May you only find peace and contentment when you remember Merc's
passing.

That's exactly how I feel.

It's hard when I tell others who loved him -- we all start to cry
(again)! He had a lot of friends.

This is tough, I have 3, 4 legged kids, and all are 12 years old. All are
starting to slide towards the time to travel the rainbow bridge. The problem
is they are my nabies and it is going to kill me when the time comes. Just
thinking of it starts the tears, Sooz I just hope he gave you a big puppy
smile and kiss before he left.



Jim


"Dr. Sooz" wrote in message
ups.com...
Today is the day he will be free.

Between 6:30 pm Pacific Time and 7:00-ish, this sweet little guy is
going to be released from the burden of his flesh. His life has been
so good, and full of so much love. He's been thrilled, chilled
(*snow!*), filled with good food and lots of affection.

In the past 40 hours, he's gone downhill fast. Last night he and I had
a long conversation (you know what I mean), and it was clear to both of
us what needed to be done. It was obvious that he had entered a new
realm -- one that included pain (and more). This was not acceptable;
there were other sudden failings of his body, too. (This, even though
he's on new and powerful meds, which seemed to help for the beginning
of the week but now have failed.)

We'd thought he'd last a few more weeks, even months, but he won't. It
was remarkable that, immediately upon my decision that this was IT and
we had to do something, he became much more relaxed. He was able to
sleep more comfortably and move around a bit better -- he KNEW. He
knew he was going to be taken care of properly, that mom wasn't going
to let "It" hurt him anymore. Since then he's stuck to me like glue,
too, cuddly, sweet, and huggy -- very unlike his usual husky autonomy.

The weather today couldn't be more beautiful, and every garden seems to
have been zapped by radiation -- what explosions of bloom! Our walkie
was incredible. He and I are slightly overmedicated today: Merc so
he's not hurting and hobbled by weakness, and me so I don't have the
loop of stress/increased pain/sobbing all day. I wanted us to enjoy
his last day on Earth, not cry and feel sick and weak and miserable.
We are definitely doing the best we can.

He will exit this existence and go to his next one here, at home --
we've arranged for a vet to come to the house. I believe they'll do it
in their vehicle. That's good -- so much better than the hospital!
He'll be immediately greeted by profusions of huge joy by his compadres
across the Rainbow Bridge -- there are so MANY of them!!! He's had so
many doggie friends! He'll be free of his hurts, and his beautiful
self will expand to fill the endless space of his giant heart.

We love him so much. Please think of him with joy this evening,
wherever you are, and help him on his way.

Love,
Sooz

Sooz I just hope he gave you a big puppy
smile and kiss before he left.

In the last two hours he slid extremely fast toward oblivion. He got
so much worse. The difference between his morning -- even his
afternoon! -- and his early evening was incredibly huge. I didn't need
anything from him at the end -- just the honor of holding him while it
happened. I'd already had the honor of being with him nearly every day
of his life.

What a guy! WHAT A GUY. We're still talking to him, and thanking him
for a ton of things. He is so much in our hearts, and always will be!
*And* we've got a lot of good things to donate to the local animal
shelter -- from an unused collar, to a new harness, to ------ tons of
stuff. Lucky other doggies!

The Phrase "Man's Best Friend" originated in a court of law. Back in
October 28, 1869, A man's dog (named old drum), was shot to death by a
neighbor. Animals had no rights back in those days, but the man wanted
justice and so he hired 3 lawyers to sue the man who shot his dog. One
of these lawyers, named George Graham Vest, is given credit for
originally coining the phrase "Man's Best Friend" during his final
summation to the jury. By the time he was finished with his speech,
the jury only took 2 minutes to reach a verdict. The jury awarded the
victim $5 (a very large amount of money back then). The jury also
wanted the man to be sent to prison, but there were no laws governing
this type of incident back then so the judge was not able to honor the
jury's request for prison time.

This is a record of the final summation given by the lawyer...

Gentlemen of the Jury

The best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and
become his enemy. His son and daughter that he had reared with loving
care may become ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us,
those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become
traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It
flies away from him when he may need it most. Man's reputation may be
sacrificed in a moment of ill considered action. The people who are
prone to fall on their knees and do us honor when success is with us
may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its
cloud upon our head. The only absolutely unselfish friend a man may
have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one
that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.

A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health
and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, when the wintry winds
blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can be near his master's
side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick
the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the
world. He guards the sleep of a pauper as if he were a prince. When
all other friends desert... he remains.

When riches take wings and reputations fall to pieces, he is as
constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If
fortune drives the master forth an outcast into the world, friendless
and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of
accompanying him to guard him against danger, to fight against his
enemies, and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his
master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no
matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his grave side
will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws and his eyes
sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.

http://www.heartofohioboxerrescue.com/BoxerPoetry.html

On 1 May 2005 23:27:24 -0700, "Dr. Sooz"
wrote:

Sooz I just hope he gave you a big puppy
smile and kiss before he left.

In the last two hours he slid extremely fast toward oblivion. He got
so much worse. The difference between his morning -- even his
afternoon! -- and his early evening was incredibly huge. I didn't need
anything from him at the end -- just the honor of holding him while it
happened. I'd already had the honor of being with him nearly every day
of his life.

What a guy! WHAT A GUY. We're still talking to him, and thanking him
for a ton of things. He is so much in our hearts, and always will be!
*And* we've got a lot of good things to donate to the local animal
shelter -- from an unused collar, to a new harness, to ------ tons of
stuff. Lucky other doggies!

On Sun, 1 May 2005 13:11:29 -0400, Jim Redden wrote
(in message ):

This is tough, I have 3, 4 legged kids, and all are 12 years old. All are
starting to slide towards the time to travel the rainbow bridge. The problem
is they are my nabies and it is going to kill me when the time comes. Just
thinking of it starts the tears, Sooz I just hope he gave you a big puppy
smile and kiss before he left.


Exactly. Our Sophie is getting slower and weaker by the day, and her
"Doggie Alzheimers" is progressing faster than anyone could have
predicted. I had been hoping for three years, when DD graduates high
school, but now I know we have only months, and that's if we're
lucky.
Fortunately, Amanda is old enough this time to understand. When
Buckie (Sophie's predecessor) died, four year old Amanda kept going
into the backyard and calling to the sky, " God, please send my
Buckie back. I promise to be good."

Heartbreaking. And it went on for months.

Sooz, Manda and I send our sympathies. I told Manda about Merc
(especially because she feels she knows you guys quite well), and she
got all quiet. She said that Merc is looking down on you now from
heaven, and is thanking you for making the pain go away.

I couldn't have said it better myself. You two are in my prayers to
help make the pain in your hearts go away.

Hugs,

Kathy N-V

Dr. Sooz wrote:
Today is the day he will be free.

We love him so much. Please think of him with joy this evening,
wherever you are, and help him on his way.

I'm so sorry, Sooz. I meant to reply to this earlier. I know you
will miss him.

FurPaw


--
"Here we go round the prickly pear
At five o'clock in the morning."
- T. S. Eliot

To reply, unleash the dog