At the pet sanctuary, better known as the Larsen home, there are countless rescues, many of which were my kids.  When I visit Burt and Jeanette I am literally deluged with dogs and cats vying for my attention.  Kids missing teeth, with one eye, three legs, previous embedded collars and more.  The love that permeates this home fills me with euphoria better than any drug known to man.  Though I love them all, I have a favorite and that is old man Chap, the hound dog.  Chap is 18 years old and I cherish every moment with him.  He will somehow make his way to be first to greet me and if he can’t he will emit a steady, rhythmic bark until I get to him.  When I finally get to sit he stiff leggedly makes his way to me and buries his head in my lap.  I then rub his ears and neck as I kiss the top of his head.  He then makes that soft mmmf, mmmf sound of contentment invented by my Monty.
Chap is beginning to shut down and it’s too much to list all that Dr. Maiolo and the Larsen’s have done for him this past week.  Every spare moment I’ve had I have spent talking with the vets and visiting with him.  He is currently on a I.V. giving him antibiotics and pain meds.  If he pulls through to give us a little more time it will be pain free but all will hinge on the quality of life.
I wish Chap and all these other kids could live forever but they are merely borrowed angels.
Buck’s tale is still a work in progress, but I will give a quick rundown for all those who are helping with his vet bills.  To date more than $3000 has been spent for Buck and I would find a way to rustle up twice that amount if I had to.  This wonderful boy brings joy to all who know him and I pray that one day he’ll be in a home where he is loved as long and as deeply as my friend Chap.
By the time you read this I would have taken Buck to the Upstate Clinic a fourth time.  He is mending wonderfully but it is a slow and careful process.  Dr. Keith Allen, the excellent surgeon who did wonders for my magnificent Snowy, worked this difficult case for Buck and I.  Buck’s bone was pinned and put together so that it may fuse solidly.  Later the pins were removed and a hard splint was placed on his leg.  Last week all bandages were removed and he’s walking normally without pain.  This week I will learn how much longer this happy and vibrant boy must stay quiet.  Believe it or not, Buck has been my strength through difficult times.  As with so many others, I feel he was sent to me just for that purpose.
As I’m writing this tale I have just learned that Chap has said goodbye to this world and those who love him.  It is part of the emotional roller coaster that I endure.  Though I love them all differently, I most certainly love them all.  So goodbye Chap, I will sorely miss you and thank you Buck for in some small way filling the void.
Thanks for listening.