On April 30, 2004 I made the most difficult decision of my life. My little Bingo was a victim of cancer, and I was afraid that she’d die alone while I was at work. Determined not to desert her in her time of need, we took that very painful last ride to the vet’s.
I thought I could never love a dog again, and my heart broke when I came home. My cat, Tucker, met me at the door. He’d learned to do that from Miss Bingo. Bless him. He tried so hard to comfort me, and his love was so very apparent.
About a month later, I visited my brother. WOW! There was a strange little dog there. He was so tiny. He looked like a very small dachshund…red with some black markings. What a cutie! He belonged to my great nephew and his family. They’d recently acquired him from friends living out of town.
Justin has a two year old daughter, and all of us were concerned that she would fall on the little dog and hurt him unintentionally. Justin said he was thinking that the little dog might be a mistake because of his size. I found myself telling him that I would take the dog if
he decided to give him up.
Three days later, the Wednesday before Memorial Day, Justin said the dog was mine. We made arrangements to exchange him on Thursday. Justin would leave him at my brothers in the AM, and I would pick
him up after work.
With great excitement I drove to my brother’s house on Thursday night. I walked in, took one look at my sister-in-law’s face, and knew immediately something was wrong. I thought maybe Justin
had changed his mind.
My little guy had found the dog door, gone outside, and walked between the gate and the gate post. He was gone before 10:00 AM that morning, and nobody had found him. I was heartbroken. I was scared that we would never find the little guy. My brother lives one block east and one block north of two very busy streets in Tucson, and I was so afraid a car
had struck the dog.
All of us were very upset. My sister-in-law called the pound and the Humane Society. She gave them a description, and the Humane Society agreed to call if the dog was brought to them.
The next morning I thought I saw my dog on the Internet site for the pound. I drove the 25 miles one way only to find that it was not my little guy. I came back home in tears. I had planned four days from work to help that little boy adjust to my home, and
now he was gone.
Shortly, my sister-in-law called. A miracle had occurred. Someone ran out of gas. While waiting for help, my dog came walking up to him. This kind man took the dog to a woman who would take in strays and try to find their “parents”. She called the Humane Society, and
they called my brother’s wife.
I raced over to get the little guy with tears of joy streaming down my face. We stopped at my brother’s to get his dish, food and leash that came with him. Believe me, the room that has the dog door was shut off so that he could
not go strolling again.
Thus began my life with Fritz Sebastian Bark, the finest little dog this side of heaven. Fritz is actually
a miracle dog.
About four months ago Fritz was found walking down a highway outside of Duncan, AZ. He was picked up and taken to the Greeley County pound. Later a family with kids adopted him after being assured that he was a purebred. Once the family saw that he was a mix, they were going to take him back to the pound. Mutual friends of my brother’s and mine took him so they could find a home before
he went back to the pound.
Those friends met my brother and his grandson at Roosevelt Lake two days later, and that’s how Fritz found
his way to us.
This little guy escaped death on that highway and on the busy streets in Tucson. I believe he was sent to me, and that no circumstance was going to keep us apart.
Fritz is perfect in every way. He walks on a leash. He rides in the back seat of the car and learned to do that after just two trips. He is house broken, and will ask to go outside. He loves children…babies and
big kids alike.
We have a group of developmentally disabled adults living in my apartment complex. Fritz is friends with every one of those wonderful people, and they all stop to say hello when we are outside.
Fritz has learned to chase a toy and bring it back to me. We are working on the “drop it” part, and
there is some progress there.
Bedtime is a hoot. I can’t beat him to the bed because he’s too fast. The minute I’m under the covers, so is he. He finds my stomach and curls up into the dachshund donut pose. He’s immediately asleep and he doesn’t move until morning. I’ll lay very still and open my eyes just a tiny bit every morning. There’s that little red dog being ever so quiet until he notices that my eyes are open. At that point, I’m greeted with wonderful puppy dog kisses that shout “I love you.”
Tucker Ducker, the cat, and Fritz are the best of friends. Fritzie wasn’t so sure the first time he was that 25# cat. He thought maybe it was a mountain lion. Today, they clean each others ears, give each other kisses, and lay close together.
I wanted to write this tribute to Fritz because he’s had such a rough start in finding a forever mom. He is a wonderful little guy, and I love him very, very much. Bingo knows that Fritz will never take her place in my heart. She knows that she has her own spot and it will remain very much hers. However, Fritz has formed his own place, touched me in his own way.
My first lesson from Fritz has been that it doesn’t matter what my life has brought me, I can always reach out in love and have
that love returned 100%.
So, Fritz, my beloved little guy, please know that I thank God that you are in my life. I vow to make your life as happy as I possibly can. I will love and respect you forever, and I’ll protect you to the best of my ability. I’m honored to be your Forever Mom.
You are the Wind Beneath My Wings,
| Fritz Sebastian Bark |
| Charlotte Hayes |