utley
The love of my life

I was owned and loved for nearly eighteen years by a tiny ten pound American Eskimo dog, named Rutley. Throughout his life he suffered from epilepsy accompanied by grand mal seizures. The veterinarian gave him medication for the seizures and said that in time it could cause damage liver. He explained in an impassive manner that epilepsy burns a path through the brain and nothing that could change that fact. The pills were the only option and were to be given twice a day. These would cause Rutley to stay in a lethargic mood, within a state of mental numbness.

So, I thought if this illness burns a path one way in the brain why not try to divert the energy onto another path. I became very vigilant to any sign of an impending ªseizure. When the first sign would appear, I'd distract him by asking him in an excited tone something he had to think about. Things he already knew and understood "Where...Where is your yellow sock...?" or "Where is Boo Boo?" These were his favorite toys and he knew their names which meant it was play time. I could see his eyes grow alert thru the mental haze as he would really try to focus on my words. Within a minute or so off he'd go, maybe with a little stagger, but he could still walk on his own. He would come prancing back waving his tail high in the air with a gleam in his eye and the yellow sock dangling from his mouth. This was his favorite toy he loved to play tug with, so we'd play a few minutes. Not too much so that he'd become overly excited, just enough to make sure the seizure wasn't still lurking in the background. By doing this over years he was relieved from the majority of these terrible events. The pills were rarely used and this diversion seemed to help more than anything else. I did always keep a half a pill handy if the technique didn't work or if the seizure proved to be too severe. This rarely happened in all those wonderful years together.

He was truly the love of my life and so very smart. He understood a wide range of words and phrases and just about everything I said to him. One time a friend called and while we were chatting I spoke to Rutley about something he wanted. My friend asked "Whose there?”. I said, "No one". She replied “Well who were you taking to?" I said "R." and her reply was that I spoke to that dog like he was a person. I can tell you he understood a lot more than most people realized. When he first came home with me he was only 6 weeks old and I made him a toy since all puppies like to play tug. I took an old yellow knee high sock of mine, put a squeak toy in the toe and tied it off in a knot. He was nearly 18 years old when I had to have him put him to sleep. He still had that old yellow sock and though I may not have seen it for a months, if I'd say Rutley where's your Yellow Sock ...like a streak of light he'd be gone and scurry back in the room with this old raggy yellow sock hanging from his teeth and a sparkle in those pitch black eyes. I don't think most people have the ability to keep anything that long. I can't find something I put down five minutes ago and here is a little dog who knew at all times were his toys were. We had moved several times in those years since he first acquired the yellow sock, I know he kept an accurate account of his toys.

About five to six months before his death I was in the kitchen making breakfast and he was there as usual. When in my head...I heard a voice say,” You will have to put me to sleep ...”. I spun around to see R dancing and looking at me with one of those silly little dog grins. I looked at him and said, "Don't you dare do that to me, Rutley." It really scared me and thought to myself "Oh, I must be losing my mind... it has to be my own fear of losing him." Less than six months from that date, that is exactly what I had to do. During his last teeth cleaning they discovered a lump and the bio came back cancer. Dr.Cooper told me that I would know when it was time to put him to sleep. He was right ...my heart was very heavy that morning when I knew the time had been reached. I couldn't let him go alone, couldn't act upset since Rutley had given himself the job to always protect me. If I became upset, though he might be small, he became a lion and would go after anyone or anything that he thought threatened me. Holding him in the doctor’s office I acted like it was just another visit to the vet’s. I believe he left before the needle even touched him there was a sense I felt that he had left. I had him cremated and he resides in my room with his picture and the old yellow sock. Some people think that's nutty. Why? During Rutley's life where ever I was, there he was also...and it remains so to this day.

ªI see that the medical world has a break through in mind control for people with disabilities. Maybe it will work for seizures and other health issues for people, as well as little creatures that share this earth with us.

My love and very best friend

The Emperor of China a.k.a.: Buster Boo departed this life after a long struggle with pervasive cancer. He was a wonderful companion who had been one of the dogs from my petting sitting business in South Jersey. His prior owner had been one of my first pet sitting clients. She wasn't married and traveled extensively. I asked her permission if Buster could go with me on my morning and evening visits to other clients, since he had to stay by himself for such long periods of time. She agreed and so nearly every morning he would ride shot gun with me as I did my morning pet routes. He'd stay in the car and snooze and every once in while look up to make sure I was still there. Then a couple of hours later he'd be back home, have breakfast and play time.

After a few years of tending Buster I needed to move to Baton Rouge with my husband. I told his owner if for any reason there should come a time that she couldn't care for him to let me know, I would surely bring him into my own home. Within a month of my leave I received a call that she was getting married and her new husband didn't want any dogs. I have my own thoughts on that one! She was sending him to us on Thanksgiving Day, what a day to have our new blessing arrive. I was very thankful he reached us safely and even more grateful he shared his life with me for nearly 17 years before he had to leave. I gave him an extra bit of breakfast treat that he loved...it was our special bond.

It's always so hard when you have to say good bye. It's not the time to think of oneself, it is the time when your true friend needs you the most to be assured they do not have to travel their final path alone