[Dailydrool] Goodbye Kisses About A Basset From Long Ago...& One From Last Week "Jimmy"

[Houndy2 at aol.com]

There are of course all kinds of kisses and it is fun to read these short  
pieces about Kisses here on this DD about our Hounds. Here are a  couple of 
stories in one...of Jimmy and of Joe. 
 
I learned a sweet thing to do for your dog when you go away and entrust  them 
to a friend for your time away. A sweet and loving thing a friend of ours  
always did for their old but never ready to "go"  rescued boy "Joe" because  
life was just too sweet. Joe sure loved his family...his forever home.  
And..something of hope and how we try so hard in Rescue and sometimes just give  them a 
 for hope and love and for a goodbye.
 
I used to take care of my friend's Basset Hound "Joe" (Sweet Joe Brennan)  
when they went away. Taking care of him was grreat...a loved dog..a once TRASH  
dog that had come to know a loving home and living a good life. They even PAID 
 me well to watch him and his other dog  and cat family...and I loved  buying 
anything I wanted with that money for the rescue dogs...it was a SAVE for  me 
as well you know? I could go into a regular pet store  or  order  (just for 
FUN!) from the pet catalog and buy dogs toys or  buying a nice dog bed or 
something fun  or silly...for the dogs. It was a  respit for me and a blessing to 
get to have Joe for a week or so... When Joe  came to us Joe was way old  and 
rickety ...uh and stinky too...lol..badd  teeth sorry old body and worn out 
when Annie and Pete rescued him. I remember  his smelling soooo bad that the 
person who was the first transport person on his  journey to us said she got sick 
...had to stop and THROW UP! he smelled so bad!  she had to have ALL the car 
windows down..and was asking me HOW EVER to get  the stink out of the crate she 
used for him. (PS   transport em to the  car wash and spray down with bleach 
solution & water and then  SCRUB!)lol
 
Annie Brennan who worked tirelessly doing wildlife rescue and rehab adopted  
this very lumpy sad and sweet very very old fellow named Joe from us. When she 
 and her husband Pete would leave him with us  Annie would plant a big KISS  
on his beautiful old domed head. 
 
She would say now that's gonna last ya....or with tears whelling up she  
would give him ANOTHER big smooch. His beanie head was white and satiny on its  
top...and a pink kiss mark looked so cute. We never talked about it but I know  
that because he was so very old ...we just would not allow the thought of his  
maybe passing away when they were gone to enter our thinking. You know how 
that  is. Well.. it was funny..sometimes if it was gonna be a LONG trip..Joe's 
head  would sometimes be smeared and all pink!
 
So year after year every time they left and I would take care of him he  
would have the HUGEST KISS and we all would try not to let my friends Annie and  
Pete see ....because every time they left I would think...oh I hope he will be  
alright...you know how you do when it is a realized possibility that they 
will  need to soon be gong to the bridge. Annie would usually hunt for a long  
wearing sticking a long time lipstick (she usually never wears lipstick) to put  
on..a LOT on just before she would give him his KISS. Kisses. Gee you know 
that  Sweet Joe Brennan he sure did LOVE being hugged and smooched on too as he  
had a lot of time to be making up for! Smooshy lovey old Joe. He would wait 
for  them to return in amongst the rescue dogs...he knew he was a chosen one. 
He was  chosen and loved and he patiently waited. 
 
 We would take care not to pet him on his big KISS mark so that  there might 
be remains of it for when they returned from the trips to visit  elderly 
parents or sick family members...(Annie is a nurse and is always right  there for 
you..be if family or a neighbor) and  well Joe he lived with them  for many 
years and  one Thanksgiving we knew Joe was very ill and still  Annie and Pete 
invited 4 of us over for Thanksgiving Dinner and we knew he  couldn't last much 
longer and his Vet was there and his time was soon and that  Thanksgiving 
Annie gave him kisses and let him go. He had failing  kidneys (among other 
things...Cancer) and had been getting fluids sub q and  Joe was up on the big couch 
in the living room looking out of his soft  brown eyes.
 
Oh I wish that I could WRITE it well for you all...but I am not so good at  
writing Rainbow Bridge stuff like Melba Toast was...like many of you are. Its  
just that well it was a most sad Thanksgiving Dinner with Friends gathered  
together saying Goodbye..and not saying it. Pretending to eat and not eating and 
 crying. Just Annie giving him his last big smooch...good enough to last for 
that  trip to the RB and more. 
 
So last week when  "Jimmy" went up to see our Vet again..and he was  
failing...I knew that we would be needing to take him our 30#  now.. little rescue --a 
young dog that had Distemper who had endured being  neutered, given TWICE 
whipworm medication and traveled in a vehicle with many  other dogs (infecting 
them?) hundreds of miles to a Foster Home...and weeks  later WE got him and 
tried to save him. It was too late. We had a garage  sale to make money for him. 
We had such hope.  We hoped it was just a bad  kennel cough.The other Rescue 
that had erred, but had good intentions of placing  him did not just pts...but 
risked reputation and entrusted him to us....(they  could do no more they had 
no more options) well its all a long and very  disheartening storey...except 
you know what?  So many of you sent your good  wishes for "Jimmy" and  I just 
want to tell you about Joe the old rescue  who only lived for love. He lived as 
long as he could and more just for love.  Jimmy tried his best too to stay.
 
I guess in memory for "Joe" that sweet old Rescue from long ago....I put on  
some lip gloss and kissed Jimmy right on top of his round head...and  took  
him into our Vet hoping he could pull through and fearing that the convulsions  
were NOT distemper...his weight loss's knowing in my heart that he needed to 
be  let go. Not to drag out his death. His leaving for the rainbow bridge was  
actually good and he did not suffer anymore. He had no more convulsions and 
pain  to endure. The sweet grass and the two candles that had been lit also 
smelled so  good. Our good Vet let me talk on and on and Jimmy...Jimmy was in my  
arms.  He had his kiss maybe against all odds it could pull him through. I  
had kissed his beany  head with hair so soft as silk...just like Joe used  to 
always get for one of Annie and Pete's trips away  I gave him a big  smooch. At 
the time I felt foolish to do that but now I am glad for it.
 
He wasn't anybody's dog. He was all of our's dog. That's how it just IS  
sometimes in Rescue... and kisses...kisses are pretty wonderful. Just a  kiss to 
keep him safe for his trip to the rainbow bridge.
 
Love and Woofin,
Lexa at Basset Rescue of Puget Sound
Thank You Joni for writing earlier about Jimmy. Thank You everybody for  your 
good wishes and sending healing drool.
 
 
 
 



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