Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Goodbye Dear Friend...

This is my goodbye post to a very important member of our family. Our dog Ernie, had been having some issues lately, and we had a feeling that his days were numbered. Saturday night he ate something he shouldn't, later had seizures, then went into the woods in the dark. I found him there in the morning. He is buried beside the swingset, but he probably would have been more at home under the basketball hoop. He would lay behind it whenever the kids would shoot and rebound anything they missed. He would bark and whine at the door if they dared go out without him.
He was my husband's dog without a doubt. I was good with a mutt, but he had always wanted a border collie, so we picked Ernie out of the litter and waited for him to be old enough. His birthday was the same day as our oldest and he came to live with us shortly after Albert came from Russia. He spent hours and hours with Scott in his office, just waiting for a pat on the head or a flip of that OldNavy frisbee. My only hold on his was walking. That he would run to the door for. Everything else I suggested, he would look at Scott first as if to say, "Do I have to listen to this?"
Ernie loved herding the lawnmower and the snowblower. The past few years, we had to limit that because he would chase so much he could hardly walk for a day...but he loved it and if he heard the mower start up, he was at the door, dancing.
I've been working at a Veterinarian Clinic part time for a little over a year. I see the love and devotion between pets and owners. But death is a part of living, so we take it as it comes. We will probably have a dog again...not until spring or summer...but there will be barking in our future. Hug your pet for me today. Like people, we don't do it often enough.









3 comments:

Susan Anderson said...

So sorry to hear it, Karen. My husband lost the dog he grew up with while he was away at college. She was poisoned, and he was heartbroken.

Sounds like you did have many good years with Ernie, and that is a blessing.

=)

Mary @ Neat and Tidy said...

Our last dog was very sick the week before Julie and Travis' wedding. Travis was the hero that took him to his vet friend, and the vet put him down and buried him so that we didn't have to deal with it. I don't think I'll ever forget seeing Travis put Duke into his truck. Travis will always be my hero for helping us out.

I know how you are feeling, and my heart goes out to you. These four-legged people have a way of winding themselves around our hearts.

Hen Jen said...

I am so very sorry for your loss. Hugs.