As we were getting ready to leave for Asheville, we got a call from our Vet. Not good news.
When I dropped Millie and Smiley off at the Vet for boarding while we were away, I mentioned that Smiley had been sick for the last few days and asked Ivan to check him out. The call back was not good news. Smiley had an intestinal blockage that was inoperable due to position and his age. We were at the airport waiting for our flight to be called. We had to decide, not if but when, to euthanize our old friend.
Years ago we had a place that was fenced to keep our dogs in and stray dogs out. Our dogs started barking like crazy and I went to see what the hell they had. Crap. A dead dog someone tossed over the fence. Just lying there with fly eggs on its head. Sticky stuff all over its body. I went and got Sal and we took an old towel to roll the corpse on to take to the field to bury. As we rolled him over, he opened his eyes, curled his upper lip, and smiled at us. So began the extended life of Smiley. He had heart worms and every other kind of worm dogs get. Ivan cleaned him out and we cleaned him up. He thrived and smiled often. He was a consummate digger. One day we came home from somewhere and he had dug 40, count’em 40, holes in the backyard. FOURTY!!! The usual number was 15 or 20. What a pain in the ass. But he smiled and was forgiven. Later in life he got heavy and had a hard time running around. He mostly just ate and slept. Then the fatal blockage. He was in constant pain by then, and nowhere to go.
Maktoob. It is written.
So we authorized the euthanasia. We have been with all our dog friends when they died, but old Smiley was with his Vet friend. His ashes will be sprinkled over the dozen craters he dug at the new house.
I could not find a single picture of Smiley. Anybody got one?
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IFpg2m9UrgY/SZOTdez41hI/AAAAAAAAELc/o4-FDrfC
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