Scruffy chose me as his forever mom one evening while I was walking near the dog pound in a small Arizona community.
As I looked over toward the kennels, there was a small, unkept gray and black baby. He saw me, sat up and waved his paws at me.
Needless to say, I was toast.
I called the dog catcher and he let me have his keys to “spring” Scruffy. I did! He was so dirty and so tangled, but he was the sweetest
little urchin I’d ever seen.
I took him home, and when I sat Scruffy down, he took two giant leaps and landed in the middle of my son’s chest. It was love at first sight.
We bathed the little guy….three times because he was so dirty and mud encrusted. We went to the vet’s and the doctor determined
that he was about six years old.
My son went to college, and Scruffy and I became the closest of friends. He loved me, he loved people and he loved his two kitty brothers.
Scruff had two bare spots on his back. I couldn’t determine what had caused them. A year or so later I took Scruff in for a well dog checkup and the vet found a mass in his stomach. With the aid of x-rays, we could see a huge growth that seemed to press on Scruffy’s lungs. The vet performed surgery, and to his amazement, Scruffy had a cyst the size of two grapefruits. It was not connected to any organs.
When Scruffy was x-rayed, there were two other things that we could see. There was a BB and a pellet lodged in his body. That explained the two bare spots on his back as well as the cyst.
Someone had shot that little dog, and one of the shots chipped his rib. The body formed a cyst around the bone chip
in an attempt to protect itself.
I cried and cried. My poor, sweet baby had been so abused. All he ever wanted to do was love people even in the face of being hurt by humans.
I lost Scruffy over 12 years ago. I still think of him so very often. He taught me about the principle of forgiveness. He taught me about the principle of unconditional love for all. He gave and gave to me.
During Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Scruffy wa my constant companion as I waited for word from my oldest son. Scruff had the distinction of being the only Doggy Pin Up with the 101st Airborne. I had his Christmas picture taken, and we sent it to Steve in Saudi. My little guy would see me crying and come to comfort me. He slept by me, and he was there day and night for me.
In 1991 I came home to find Scruffy foaming at the mouth. We rushed to the ER, and he was kept overnight. He had congestive heart failure, and the vet put him on a special diet. He did quite well.
In 1992, we again went for a well doggie checkup. The vet was commenting on how well he was until she got to his tail. He had a tumor at the base of the tail, and the vet was certain that it was malignant. We chose not to operate because of Scruff’s heart condition and age.
I carefully watched my darling boy because I knew I couldn’t let him suffer. On April 7th, when I awoke, Scruffy was obviously in distress. I called the vet, and made the appointment for that evening.
The pain of having to lose my little guy was horrible. I spent some time with my little boy thanking him for the love and understanding that he’d shown me for those short six years. There was so much
that he’d given me.
I stayed close and talked softly to my baby boy so that he would know that I loved and cared deeply for him. I couldn’t have abandoned him in that final moment for anything. He’d been so loyal to me that I could only try to give back a bit of that to him.
I have such wonderful memories of Scruffy James McDuffy. He was so good…well, except for getting his nails clipped. He just hated that part of his home grooming routine.
Scruffy had become deaf somewhere in our journey together. Amazingly, he learned sign language. He knew the sign for come, sit, lie down, and stay. He loved to practice his new skills.
Scruffy loved everyone, man and animal. He was a wonderful teacher, friend and companion.
Scruffy, thank you again for all you gave me. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for loving me. Most of all, thank you for helping me through the Gulf War. Without you, I don’t know what I would have done.
You are gone, but you will never be forgotten. You sent me Bingo, and when she joined you at the Bridge, she sent me Fritzie. I’m the most blessed forever mommy in the world.
You are always on my mind......
| Scruffy James McDuffy |
| Charlotte Hayes |