Moocher by Drew & Vicki

Moocher was an abandoned mixed breed female dog about 4 months old when she adopted me in 1990. She was sick and scrawny trying to survive in the inhospitable Mojave desert. She showed up at my work and I started giving her water and food. After a couple weeks I brought her home.

She grew up to be a 70 pound medium large dog (like a small German Shepherd size) with long black hair and brown eyes. We got her fixed had all her shots done got her licensed etc.

Where we live she did not have to be confined but had the free range of our property. I used to hike with her almost every day. From my back door we would take off through the desert and head for the foothills. She loved hiking with me and our 3 other dogs! She would go off and explore ahead and behind the trail chase whatever critters she saw (never caught any) and just enjoy about the perfect life for a dog.

For the last month or so on and off she was acting kind of lethargic and sick. But she seemed to be eating well and drinking water so I wasn’t that concerned. When I came home tonight all the other dogs came up to greet me at the car as usual but no Moocher. I went looking around my property for her and found her under a juniper bush looking like she was just sleeping but she was gone.

It took me a long time to dig through the rocky soil but I finally made a grave for her next to the resting places of our 20 year old female cat Toes who died last year our male cat Yogi who died the year before that and my old dog Rufus who I buried somewhere very near there about 20 years ago.

She was a loving companion for 11 years. My wife and I and our 3 remaining dogs Randall Stinky and Sable will miss her very much. Goodbye Moocher!

Drew & Vicki Engman

 

Moocher
23, Feb 2001
Drew & Vicki