A Goodbye to my Dog (bit of a downer) (932 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.97 on 49 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by MyTeeOne <My_Tee_One.at.hotmail.com> (View user info) at 2006-10-27 13:06:18 EDT
My mom called me at work this morning to give me nothing but bad news, which is a lovely thing to hear on a Friday morning. My dog has cancer and will need to be put down. I'm not one of those people who carry around a picture of my dog. I do not refer to my dog as my doghter. She is a dog, not a child. But I'm still attached to the old girl. Pepper rocks, plain and simple. She's 120lb rot and is one of the best dogs you'll ever meet (or not get to meet now).
Pepper was a bad ass. She lives on my parents' farm because it was cruel to keep her here in the city. A couple of low lives tried to rob my parents' house one time. They started in the garage with the tools. Pepper woke my parents up (who let her outside) and Pepper corned those scum bags in the garage until the cops arrived. She was actually credited in the paper with stopping a crime spree.
When coyotes came out of the nearby forest preserve to wage war on my parents' garbage cans, Pepper scarred off the entire pack. I wasn't there when it happened, so it may have only been one stray dog, but mom seemed sober when she told me the story, so I believe it. Pepper was a rock star like that.
But more than being 120 pounds of awesome, she was also GREAT with the kids. I have two nieces, one is 2 and the other is 6. Pepper was their pony, couch, babysitter, play toy, and friend. When they climbed on her, she patiently endured it. When they wandered over to the basement steps, she got in their way to keep them off the stairs. When Halloween came around and they wanted to be princesses, she got dressed up as a dragon. And one of the cutest things I've ever seen was the two year old hand feeding the dog. She took all of these things in stride. She was a good dog.
I'm not saying she was perfect. When my dad had a new lawn sweeper delivered to the house, the delivery guys dropped it off outside by the garage per dad's instructions. Pepper ate the lawn sweeper. It was an incredible amount of destruction spread all across the yard that cost me a couple hundred bucks to replace. It was not recognizable as something solid. I've never seen a dog actually chew through metal before.
She would lie in my mom's flower garden constantly, which did not impress my mom. I figured Pepper liked the smell of the flowers and the coolness of the earth. But Pepper was considerate enough to lie in the same spot each time so it was only that one section of flowers that died. I gave her mad props for that.
And yes, there was the door incident. Pepper, as mentioned, was a bit over protective with the kids. The six year old was having a birthday party at my parent's house and we were all playing tag outside. We kept Pepper in the house during this particular game because some of the older folks were still eating. Well, the six year old tripped and skinned her knee, as kids sometimes do, and started to cry. Pepper was sitting on the couch watching out of the living room window. She saw my niece trip, heard her cry, and did not hesitate to haul ass off the couch, around the dinning room table, and through the kitchen door.
When I say through the kitchen door, I don't mean she waited patiently for someone to come and open the door. I don't mean that she jumped up and opened the screen door (which she could do from the inside). I mean she hit the door head on and popped the door frame off the house, which took my Uncle and I four hours and twelve beers to fix. Pepper was over protective and I loved her for it.
But that was in her younger days. For the past few months she's been limping really badly. Now she barely walks at all and refuses to eat. She used to want constant attention and now she doesn't even lift her head off the couch when someone comes into the house. It's out of mercy that I will go home this weekend and take her to the vet to say goodbye.
R.I.P old girl. You'll be missed.
User Reviews
Submitted by DrSeussman (user info) at 2006-10-29 23:40:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Sorry dude, I feel ya.... http://www.ubersite.com/m/80408
Submitted by maximus44 (user info) at 2006-10-29 01:27:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I had to put my lab to sleep a month ago for cancer tumors all throughout his body, he was 2. I feel your loss, it is something i will never get over.
Submitted by coley (user info) at 2006-10-28 17:58:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
:'( I'm sorry.
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2006-10-28 16:10:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
had the same dog in my household from when I was five till I was 17. Broke my heart when we had to have her put down.
Sorry to hear about your dog.
Submitted by The_taste_of_Monkeys (user info) at 2006-10-28 13:54:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Dogs are bastards, you love em then they break your damn heart.
Submitted by matnotharry (user info) at 2006-10-28 13:46:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Poor Pepper
Submitted by RPharazon (user info) at 2006-10-28 13:23:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by LSD420 (user info) at 2006-10-28 10:27:46 (#)
Ranking: 2
:(
Submitted by Antioxident (user info) at 2006-10-28 10:54:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by LSD420 (user info) at 2006-10-28 10:27:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
:(
Submitted by firefly (user info) at 2006-10-28 10:11:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by kuroneko_sama (user info) at 2006-10-27 23:24:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i feel your pain, i put my 11 year old dog down this morning for dangerous unpredictable agression
Submitted by Nonentity (user info) at 2006-10-27 23:24:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My condolences. My own dog passed just a few months ago from cancer. She wasn't a Rottie, though, or nearly as badass as Pepper seems to have been. Anyhow, I'm sorry for your loss. Rest in peace, Pepper.
Submitted by Danger_Ranger (user info) at 2006-10-27 22:08:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
There was this one time my ex-wife Medusa and I were staying at her folks place while our house was being renovated. Her sister lived downstairs and had her own ensuite. I came home early one afternoon to find Cleveland gnawing on a 'bone' in the backyard. The place was littered, length and breadth, with toilet paper, and I closed the gate behind me saying, "oh Cleveland, you are a very naughty dog, you've been in the downstairs bathroom and dragged the toilet paper out and have strewn it the length and breadth of the yard and now *I* am gonna have to pick it all up. You naughty, naughty dog. Now give us a kiss you big puppy wuppy duppy buppy. WHO. loves. YOU. hey?? Who loves woo??"
Imagine my disgust when I found my first tampon. Imagine my horror when closer inspection of the 'bone' revealed that it was probably a tampon at some stage too.
I spent the next 15 minutes in a state of mad panic, hoping my mother-in-law wouldn't appear at the back gate wondering why I had her daughters tampons in my hand.
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2006-10-27 21:37:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Poor, poor baby. Here's hoping you see her again one day.
I still miss my Brandy, even though she liked to eat used maxi pads and hide her soggy milk bones under my pillow.
Submitted by GMCrayon (user info) at 2006-10-27 21:00:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Le sigh. Good luck man.
Submitted by bob (user info) at 2006-10-27 19:35:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
what kind of dog?
Submitted by Susie_Derkins (user info) at 2006-10-27 19:08:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Sorry to hear it My Tee. I have funny dog stories similar to yours. Our dog Sam once got up on the kitchen table and ate an entire pound of butter. That made quite a mess as it went through her digestive system like a Japanese bullet train.
Another time we were having burgers for dinner. Whilst eating, the doorbell rang and for some reason we all got up to see who it was. One of us forgot the rule to push in your chair, and upon returning, we found Sam on the table with an entire burger in her mouth. When she saw us, she spat out everything but the patty and took off. Smart cookie.
We had to put her down when she was 12 after glaucoma took her sight and a canine form of alzheimers took her mind. I still miss her, but we all tell her stories again and again to laugh and remember her as she was. Danger Ranger is correct, you'll kick yourself if you're not there when she goes.
I'm rambling, but I'll close with a George Carlin quote that says it best: "When getting an animal, you're not buying a pet, you're purchasing a small tragedy." Take care My Tee and share her stories.
Submitted by Bickerstaff (user info) at 2006-10-27 17:08:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by hidden101 (user info) at 2006-10-27 17:00:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
sorry to hear it. i just had a pet die too.
Submitted by Danger_Ranger (user info) at 2006-10-27 16:56:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
So when the vet says "you wanna stay?", the correct response is 'yes'.
Trust me.
P.S. Pepper, in dog heaven there is a brindle boxer called Cleveland, he's only 5, dumb as a box of hammers, and will only try to have sex in your butt, provided he mistakes you for a boy. Peace out old girl.
Submitted by MyTeeOne (user info) at 2006-10-27 16:52:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Well, O-tron, I put this one down at my parents place because I felt bad having it in the city with my schedule. My parents adored her so I think they'll get a new one soon. As for me, not until I have a backyard. I've been thinking of getting a turtle though and naming it Dog, just to fuck with it's head.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-10-27 16:44:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
If it makes you feel any better, I don't even HAVE a dog to miss. As strange as it sounds, I'd rather be in your position than without a dog to grieve over. I must remedy this soon.
The question is...are you going to head out and get a new one this weekend?
Submitted by EatMeCompletely (user info) at 2006-10-27 16:42:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Sorry man. Sucks that most of us buy pets knowing that we will probably outlive them. Doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to them.
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2006-10-27 16:28:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
crummy.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-10-27 15:21:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Farewell, puppy.
Submitted by Allyson (user info) at 2006-10-27 15:20:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
plus two for my tears.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2006-10-27 15:11:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I've had THREE doggies pass since 1999 and it never gets easy...but it IS this right thing to do...put them down so they don't suffer.
Of course, why I pay $400 per doggie to have them cremated and stored in a little wooden box on my mantle is something that years of therapy can't explain.
Submitted by nya_nyo (user info) at 2006-10-27 14:31:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Just had to put my cat smithers to sleep, he had cancerous cysts spread throughout his kidneys and large intestine. time heals, man
Submitted by MyTeeOne (user info) at 2006-10-27 14:27:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by JMG114 (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:40:47 (#)
Ranking: 2
To Pepper!
=======================================
Damn straight.
Again, I appreciate it. Let's not mourn the lives off those that have past, instead lets celebrate the lives of those we loved. Tell me the funny stories.
For instance, my parents made a ham one year for X-mas dinner. We all went into the living room for some reason or another while it cooled. We didn't notice Pepper remained in the kitchen. She feasted on the ham. The entire ham. I don't know if you've ever witnessed what ham does to a dogs digestive system, but it wasn't a very merry X-mas for Pepper. That was the year we learned pizza hut was open on X-mas day. While I called her a dirty old egg sucking dog at the time, Pizza on X-mas eve is now a family tradition.
Submitted by ruthless (user info) at 2006-10-27 14:23:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I feel I should point out that the +2 is for a well-written piece, not just out of sympathy, although I am sympathetic.
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2006-10-27 14:15:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This may seem sad, but when my cat CeeCee dies, I'll probably be a sobbing wreck for at least a few days...
Had that cat since i was 16...
Submitted by MyTeeOne (user info) at 2006-10-27 14:03:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:53:22 (#)
Ranking: 2
Let me be the first to extend multi-lingual condolences:
Lo siento.
I'm sorry.
============================================================
That was hilarious.
Thanks again all.
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2006-10-27 14:01:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Just the thought of losing my dog makes my eyes watery.
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:55:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Never had a dog, but I always wanted one. Except for these moments.
-Dave
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:55:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ah damn
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:53:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Let me be the first to extend multi-lingual condolences:
Lo siento.
I'm sorry.
Submitted by ubetidid (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:52:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I feel your pain.
Acacia: ten-year-old Rottie, put down last year.
:-(
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:40:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm so sorry, Doug.
Last year, our 13-14 year-old Dalmatian, Casey, was suffering so badly that my father made the same decision. I tried to fight it, I didn't think it was quite time, but I know how much they loved that dog and they'd never have done it out of anything other than love.
Tears still come to my eyes when I think about him. I'll always miss him.
Submitted by JMG114 (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:40:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
To Pepper!
Submitted by congo (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:39:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by MyTeeOne (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:39:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Thanks all.
And scourge...like I need an excuse for you to buy drinks? This weekend is bad (obviously) but if it happens for sure let me know. We'll get brdn_nkd to make a little road trip and show this town the meaning of the words "drunk and disorderly."
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:35:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
my parents had to put down their dog, Benjamin, last Friday night, too. Cancer in the throat.
He was a Sheltie, so they thought he had a small fatty deposit on his neck, as shelties tend to get, but then about 2 weeks ago he stopped eating.
Went to the vet, found out that only 10% of the cancer was outside (what they thought was the deposit) and 90% of it in his neck. He couldn't eat because his esophogus was almost 100% blocked.
Step-mom's still bawling at times, Dad's a little misty eyed.
See, they're do sheltie rescue, and they get older dogs and stuff, so they never live there more than 3-4 years, generally. Harsh stuff.
Submitted by Amontillado (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:34:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Blinkish (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:34:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Sorry to read baout your pooch. It sucks when furry buddies have to go.
Submitted by scourge (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:20:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Sorry, buddy.
I may be getting moved to Chicago for the next two weekends. Need me to buy you some drinks if I am reassigned?
Submitted by ruthless (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:14:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My rottweiler had to be put down when she was only 6 - something with her liver. I was heartbroken. Her name was Sasha.
Submitted by Jack_McCallum (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:10:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm sure some asswipe will be along to laugh and say it's just a dog.
Sorry to hear about this. The good thing is, you gave the dog a good life.
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:09:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Aww, I'm so sorry. That really stinks. :(
Submitted by UnderOathMeal (user info) at 2006-10-27 13:08:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My dog of 9 years, Basil (St. Bernard), had to be put down because of a softball-sized tumor in her gut.
She was the kindest and most selfless creature I ever knew. Though she died years ago, just thinking of how she comforted me during bad days makes my eyes well up.
Good post.