Personal Commentary: Saying So Long To An Old Friend & Constant Companion

This is probably one of the toughest things I've ever written... I'm the guy who down through the years has covered plane crashes, fatal accidents, floods, and just about every kind of tragedy that humans can endure. I now find myself bleary-eyed and emotionally distraught over a dog.

I'm not talking about just any dog, I'm talking about our big lovable yellow lab, Puck. You see, we had to make the "appointment" today with the vet. After eight-and-a-half years of being our constant companion, we'll have to put Puck down Monday afternoon. It all sounds very cold and clinical, and I guess that it is. By today's standards it beats a slow and painful death, or a one-way hunting trip.

We first noticed the swelling on one of his hind paws around the holidays. Did he step in a hole in the backyard and sprain his foot? Maybe it was a spider bite or some kind of an abscess, we wondered. He wasn't limping. It didn't appear to be bothering him, but the swelling kept getting worse and it was obviously turning ugly. A trip to the vet and some tests revealed it was a mast cell tumor--cancer.

That was about the last thing we thought it would be or could be... But it's growing fast now and really starting to interfere with his life. The vet said we could amputate his leg, but our big buddy already shows signs of arthritis, so his remaining time would be really difficult if we went that route. We asked the vet, but there's no radiation or chemotherapy that would work on this kind of a growth. So, now we have to come to grips with letting him go...

It would all be so much easier if he was a mean junk yard dog, but Puck is truly a gentle soul, despite his size. He was a big dog to begin with--a Canadian blockhead--apparently one of the larger of the lab variations, but he always had the temperament of a lapdog. His bark was definitely worse than his bite...

This is one of my favorite shots that I call "Small, Medium & Large" that show Puck along with our two Pomeranians who both passed on some years ago. As you can see, life is rough for dogs around our house. And Puck is one of those dogs that got along with just about anybody. In fact, I can recall just one person he had an untoward reaction to, and it turned out that person was a drug user and dealer. Seems one of our daughters had befriended a bad seed, and Puck picked up on it before any of us...

Here's a picture of a much younger, and leaner, Puck during a rare snowfall in Dallas. He's always been a bit of a show-off, so he had to commandeer the chaise lounge for this photo. Speaking of being a ham, Puck made it through some health crises like elbow surgery, a bout of panreatitis that almost took him from us way too early, and then a serious case of mange. Those ailments were cured, and how I wish there was a way to pull him through this... I'm having trouble imagining coming home and not finding Puck there to greet me, or letting him out in the backyard and not hearing his deep voice barking at the birds or passersby.

This unlikely shot is when Lacey (our youngest) managed to coax Puck to join her in a wheelchair that belonged to my mother. This is a dog that always showed what unconditional love is all about. Only that would have allowed him to endure a wild ride in an electric wheelchair with an inexperienced driver.Puck has been with us for every celebration, every triumph and helped us through every challenge the family has faced for many years. There were times, like this Christmas morning in Louisville, when I'm sure he would have rather been sleeping in, but being the loyal family dog Puck persevered.

When Jasmine joined the us three years ago, she was barely a handful of fur and Puck kept her at a distance until she was big enough to hang with the big boys. Now, I fear, she'll miss him more than any of us.I don't know how dogs think, but I do know they mourn... I remember how Puck mourned the loss of the Pomeranians--first Angel, and then Chi a few months later. Time and the introduction of Jasmine into his world helped make his later years much more full and happy. I mean, take a look at the picture above and tell me he's not a happy camper. That's the important thing now, I think, it's important that he leaves us while he's still happy and not suffering as it appears he will be if we try and hold on to him much longer.

So, rest easy old pal... Heaven can always use another good dog like you. Get to know the lay of the land up there because I'll be counting on you to show me around some day.