Survivors and Celebrations

Buddy's Story

Buddy was definitely Mom's third child. He couldn't stand to be more than a few feet from her. When he'd wake up from a nap he would frantically look around until he found her. He would look to us to direct him to Mom with a frantic look in his eyes. Buddy was a pound puppy (2-4 when we rescued him), so I don't think he ever got over the abandonment issues. Buddy and I always acted like siblings. We'd cause trouble for each other often: he'd sneak things out of my room and I'd steal his toys. The one thing that I am most grateful for is the unconditional love that Buddy had for me. He always seemed to know when I'd had a bad day and just hugging him and playing with those curly ears made the day melt away. When I left for college I had the most trouble leaving Buddy. I could talk to the rest of the family, but you can't fit slobbery kisses through a phone. When I'd come home to visit, he would meet me outside, trying to wag and and run at the same time. That always caused an awkward side-ways run that made me crack up. Buddy first showed signs of cancer when he was around 6. He had a few fatty tumors and the removal of the scent glands showed more cancer. When he was around 8, he lost most of his hearing, had another tumor removed from the anal gland region, and he began to have issues with range of motion. Mobility continued to go down over the years. In the 10th year of our loving expanded family Buddy lost a lot of weight, lost most mobility, and had some severe nose bleeds. Hearing him whimper was almost unbearable. We wanted to keep him with us for as long as possible (no matter the Vet bills), but it started to feel selfish to keep him suffering. In the last weeks Buddy was with us he lost control of his mouth; tumors in his mouth prevented him from opening his mouth completely or moving his tongue very much. Mom fed him ice cubes to keep him hydrated, and we found out that no matter how much he hurt, he would still manage to open his mouth enough for steak. :) The Vet came to the farm so he'd be calm and comfortable up to the end. My mom said that the look of relief in his eyes in those last moments convinced her that she made the right choice. I had demanded to be warned of the final day so that I'd have time to come home from school. They decided to keep it from me for almost a week so that I wouldn't be distracted from my tests. I'm sure years from now I will appreciate it, but it still hurts. It's been easier for the family to adjust because they are in the empty house everyday, but not being able to return home from finals to that unconditional wagging has been tough. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him. Brown and white with a little white flag-like piece at the tip of his tail, loud snoring that made us turn up the TV more, super soft muzzle, someone to blame farts on...occasionally, speaking volumes with one look...our family feels incomplete. People have said that by adopting Buddy we gave him a new chance at life, I think that Buddy changed our lives forever. There is no love like the unconditional love from a pet. I hope that everyone can feel that at least once in his or her life. To everyone who has lost a pet, I share your pain.