For most folks who venture to my blog, the first thing you see is the pic of the dogs on the right. While I may write about cases, discovery, mundane court decisions or even the Gators, there is one constant - my dogs.
In my south and I suspect in just about any home where dogs are family, the death of one - even if expected - still hits hard.
Our home has been lucky. I'm old school hard ass at times. Today we lost Bruno, a lab I rescued 3 years ago. He was brought in after Pudge, our 14 year old lab just ran out of life. http://ageorgialawyer.blogspot.com/2011/12/from-2008-first-christmas-without-pudge.html
Bruno was the dog who cheated death. He was a day away from the gas chamber in Carrollton. A family saved him, and then the recession hit. He was going the way of a shelter til we intervened. We were family #3.
This (mostly) yellow lab was our delight. Great with our kids, housebroken, lover of tennis balls, obedient (mostly). He ran with me on weekends, loved the water, and minded his manners around my youngest nephew. The words "car ride" and "walk time" drove him crazy. He hit the running trails with me, could dive for any stick in a creek or river, and never met a puddle he didn't like.
Bruno learned to bark when I said Bowden. He wore a Gator blue collar. He barked at strangers at the door, and busted his ass many times on an icy driveway.
4 weeks ago he started getting sick. We had him tested - cancer. The past two weeks were near daily trips to the vet to deal with leg infections and hydrotherapy to make him feel a bit better. He had more prescriptions than my grandfather.
My kids played with him, but I was worried. Monday at 230 a.m. I awoke to a dog bleeding and we rushed to the canine ER (atlanta mind you, big city means options). I carried him to the truck and sweated the drive.
Tuesday meant the worst news - cancer spreading rapidly. 2 months at most said the vet, with a poor quality of life. A bad leg with infection making it painful to walk. Cancer up to his hip. The Vet said TU night, put him down. I said no and home he came.
Last night was the toughest night in a while. He had vanilla ice cream, table scraps, and many a hug. At 3 a.m. Wednesday I could not sleep, and so I laid next to him on our wood floor, laughing and recalling the dumb things this very smart dog did. He knew, I think.
I took today off, and gave him his reprieve. Lots of time outside, all the time his tail wagging furiously. He was in such bad pain, it hurt me.
So we left for the vet after lunch. I just could not stay to watch the end. Forgive me my old friend. You added fun to our lives, protection to my youngest, and laughter to my heart.
For those who have read this far, you know where I am right now. It hurts. Coming home to an empty dog bed, and full food bowl and toys everywhere.
I know, the loss is not terrible in relation to the big picture (whatever that is). I hope this part of our family is in a place now where a saint or two will laugh out loud when he barks to "Bowden" tonight.
Goodbye my friend.
