I would like to write about my little buddy, My pal. His name is Tuk. How we came about to get him was kinda funny. I can still remember 17 years ago in late June, as the kids were about to get out of school for the summer. One night I went out to my back porch to get something and Oh My God I thought what was that smell???? I seen this little black thing come running down the stairs and I ran back into the house. Yelling and Screaming all the way a skunk!!!, a skunk!!!, its in the back hall. Get it someone get it!!!! My husband Roger came running out from the parlor and behind him was my son Chad and his friend Jeff. Wait, Wait, they yelled. “Mom it’s a dog.. What???? No more dogs, we have a dog. At that time we had Nikita who is also on this site. Nikita was about 1 year old and a female Malamute. No way boys no more dogs. We lived in the city for one thing in an apartment building. So any how they opened the door and the smell was soooo bad.
Why does this dog smell I asked? Well they said it’s been out back now for a few days and at first we tried to chase it away but he just kept coming back. So we put him in the hall for the night so he wouldn’t get ran over or anything, mom.. hmmmmm I thought here we go… Can we please just bring him in and give him a bath??? Well who’s going to clean up the mess, and don’t let him get near Nikita cause we don’t know if he has anything catching. We will clean up the mess Mom I promise wait and see. Ok boys, bring him in. So in the door entered my soon to be lifetime buddy…My little Pal.. The poor dog had festers all around his little buttocks, He couldn’t even have a bowl movement it was there for sooooooo long. I thought. “The poor little thing”. Well after he got bathed and conditioned and brushed he was the cutest little puppy you want to see. He did however have one cross eye but still he was a cutie.
I said ok boys we will let him stay in the house and In the morning I will put a ad in the newspapers lost and found. We ran the ad for about 2 weeks with no one responding to it. Then it was Mom, Dad, if no one replies can we keep him. I’ve got a great name for him Chad said. Yeah and whats that Chad? We can call him Tuk. Well we brought him to our vet and that’s how we found out about how old he was which the vet told us around 6 months old and that he was a Keeshound.
He was in good health.
We ended up getting him all his shots he needed and neutered so he wouldn’t be going after Nikita. Then on the last day of the ad we got a phone call from a girl who said the dog was her grandmothers and that her grandmother was old and having a hard time taking care of it. I asked where did you get the dog? She said oh we found him. hmmmmm I said sounds fishy to me. But if he belongs to someone then I have to return him. I started to walk him up the street and looked into the window where my youngest son Tyson sat staring at me and Tuk with the saddest little face. It broke my heart.
I thought of the condition the dog was in and thought I’d be bringing him back to the same environment and decided to turn around and go back home to call them back. I said if you found this dog then he really wasn’t your dog to begin with. Do you know this dog was in terrible condition when I brought him in our house? He had dog festers all over him and he stunk.I also brought him to the vet and got him shots he needed. I didn’t think anyone was going to claim him, so we also had him neutered. She said well my gram is old and had a hard time taking care of him. he always was getting out of the yard and running away. I said at that point, look my kids are in love with him and I’m too. He would really have a better home here, we can take care of him a lot easier then your gram. She agreed and so I told her where I lived and if they ever wanted to visit him they could, but of course no one ever did and I didn’t expect them to.
Tuk was a real good dog. Never did we have a problem with him. He was so fast in his younger years. The only thing the kids hated to take him walking. It always ended up he took them for the walk. Little as he was he would pulled them up the street and even ourselves when we took him. He was a true little friend till the end. You know they say that no matter what you do to a dog he will always be loyal to you, and this was true in Tuk. He was a forever friend.
As the years went on the kids grew up and moved out to go to college and also to start lives of their own. Tuk remained with me and my husband and Nikita. Nikita passed away In March of 2002 and Tuk’s little heart and ours was broken. We made it through this loss with the help of Tuk’s loyalty and he made it with all the extra lovings he got from us. We moved to the country in 2005. Tuk by then was going blind. He had cataracts, but, he did get a chance to keep his site for a year or so. He started getting so that it was hard for him to get up and down from arthritis that set into his old little bones.
He eyesight went completely just about 1 year after moving in here, so he learned his way around quick. He always amazed me. No matter what, he would get up and go to the door so you could bring him out right up until the day we had to put him down. Poor old Tuk He was going to the bathroom so much but still managing to get out the door so he wouldn’t mess on the floor.
Finally after being up all night with him on Thursday July 12th 2007 when he did lose control of himself and I had to put him in the bath to clean him, he was crying and so was I. I thought I’d never smell that smell of the first day we found him, but this was worse. The vet said it was because everything was shutting down on him. He used to go through these little spells of not being able to keep his balance and going weak on us, but he would pull through.
The neighbor Barry use to say to us, Ahhhh the old boy pulled through again huh, and I’d say yep he did he’s back again. Not this time. I knew it, I felt it and so did my little buddy Tuk. I couldn’t bare to go with him to our vets office. After Nikita I just couldn’t do it again. I brought him out to the bathroom the last time the morning of July 13th 2007. I cleaned him off for the last time and picked him up and gently put him in my hubby’s truck, who’s heart was breaking too. I prayed that the good Lord would please take him in his sleep, but it didn’t happen. I hugged him and kissed him and told him I loved him. I said go and meet Nikita at rainbows bridge Tuk. Where you’ll run, jump and play again
without any pain.
I love you My little buddy, forever. I will see you again someday, We will meet at rainbows bridge and be together for eternity. My husband pulled away at 11:10 am that morning and at about noon I knew it was over, the phone rang and My husband (Roger) said its over Col, and we both sat on the phone and cried. He brought our little buddy back home wrapped in his favorite blanket. The vets office put him in what looks like a body bag, but Roger took him out and put him in his blanket and then placed the body bag over him. He dug a hole and we placed him and Nikita’s ashes into the hole together.
So I kinda had to say Goodbye to her again that day too along with our first Nikita. We put little doggies on the grave and two urns filled with flowers, Roger made a nice cross and also put up a hanging basket of flowers. They are all together now and I know he is running and jumping and maybe even tugging someone around if he is being walked on a leash At Rainbows Bridge. Tuk this family is so empty now without you, You will always be on our minds forever and ever. thats why I chose this song for your story. You are always on my mind. You were the best little buddy anyone could ever have. Tuk touched many hearts in our family. We have 7 grandchildren who grew up with him. The youngest being only 5 but they all love and will miss you too Tuk.
We Love You, Tuk.
| Tuk |
| The Gamache Family |