3-Legged Dachshund
As I began reading the site I was so overwhelmed with memories that
I don’t know where to begin with my story… maybe if I start at the end and
go backwards it will make sense.
On December 6 1999 my beloved brother Michael took his life.
He felt he had no one to love him; that he was never good enough for anyone.
In his whole short 43 years the only unconditional love he ever knew in his eyes,
came from his dog Boomer.
Boomer was adopted from the Frederick County Maryland Humane Society.
He had been abused and was a scraggly looking part beagle / part something else.
But he adored my brother and my brother adored him.
Boomer lived 17 years. He fortunately did not have to suffer the loss of his
owner and the only person who loved him. Boomer had a minor stroke and
was in no pain but really had no quality to his life at all. As hard as it was my
brother had to say good-bye to the love of his life.
There have always been dogs in my life from as far back as I can remember.
My brother had a friend who was HIV positive and was dying.
Steven had never had a pet growing up and the only thing he wanted was a dog.
So my brother and Steven went to the Montgomery County Maryland Humane
Society and found the perfect dog for Steven a 3-legged dachshund named “Baby”.
She too had been very abused and became Steven’s life line.
She was in his arms or beside him in bed until he drew his last breath.
Baby helped all of us through our grieving over Steven because her eyes
were the eyes to his soul – she understood his suffering.
Baby lived to be around 12 years old.
Zeke – now here’s another dog who saved another life.
My Dad was diagnosed with kidney disease diabetes and heart disease.
Dad wanted a “lap dog” since all he could fore see in his future was sitting
around waiting to die. This was a man who had been an active telephone man
for 37 years and never was sick a day in his life.
The day Mom and Dad went to the shelter there just didn’t seem to be a
“lap dog” to be had. Then the volunteer remembered one dog that was about
to be “put down”. He didn’t show well he was so skinny and bony
and all he did was shake. He had been left in a public housing area when
the owners skipped out and they just left him there to die.
He became our “Ezekiel”. Jokingly we referred to him as our “pit Chihuahua”.
He had an underbite was part Chihuahua part whippet and who knows what else.
Yet he never could be with anyone other than my Dad.
You never saw one without the other. They worshipped each other.
Dad had many hospital stays and Zeke could never understand where he was.
When the time came that Dad did not come home ever again I don’t think
Zeke ever quite understood but he did know that now it was his job to
take care of my mother. He did this very well for seven more years until his
heart could no longer hold out and he went to join my Dad.
During the time preceding my Dad’s death my son was very young and
I discussed with his pediatrician about how to handle it; when my
father did pass away as he was very close to my son.
She suggested getting a dog. She said a dog would be the stability in life
for my son when the rest of his caregivers were distraught.
At that time Bradley came into our lives.
My father and mother went out to the Humane Society and were there right
when a family brought in Bradley because they said their family was allergic to him.
He was 1 1/2 years old and part poodle and part westie.
He had been very well trained; it took me weeks to get him to jump
on the furniture!
Bradley was a wonderful companion for my son Lee and for all of us.
As time went on Bradley developed Cushing’s syndrome and diabetes.
We gave him two insulin injections a day and multiple pills.
He was really a trooper. We lost him one month after my brother’s death;
life has not been the same since.
I know there are no guarantees in life and I still cry daily for my brother;
to have felt so unloved that he would take his own life.
But when I look at the joy that Boomer Baby Zeke and Bradley brought into
the lives of their “families” I know that they really are the angels among us.
In my brother’s Will he has left $5,000 to each of the two Humane Societies.
I began looking at websites and links trying to find a fitting memorial to
suggest to each Humane Society. I believe I am going to purchase several
large dog kennels / runs where prospective “adopters” may interact with
potential “adoptees”. In this way I think that others may find the love of an
animal and hopefully not go through the suffering our family has due to
someone not having the unconditional love that only a pet can provide.
Anne
| Baby |