[Dailydrool] Abraham Ga-linkin 7-25-03 to 6-29-11

[GalinkinSK at aol.com]

ABRAHAM   GA-LINKIN 

7-25-03 TO 6-29-11 
Gotcha Date  10-27-2007 

Abraham, Abe, Abrahammy, Abrhammy loves his Mammy, Hammy,  Ham Ham, Ham 
Boloney Macaroni, Puppielicious  
\ 
Today would have been Abe’s 8th birthday so I  thought this was appropriate 
and cathartic…. 
Abraham came into our life after losing  Polly Esther.. I wasn’t really 
looking for another dog or a renewal as I call it  but my then 9-year-old Lab 
Owen was suffering terribly without another canine  companion. to the point 
where I thought I would lose him. With the persistence  of a dear friend who 
happens to be the Adoption Coordinator for Mid-Atlantic  Basset Hound Rescue 
I decided to explore the possibility of another dog.  So to make a long 
story short I made  arrangements with Abe’s (formerly known as Barney) Mom to 
meet him.  We took the 1-½ hour trip to North  Jersey and upon entering her 
home I immediately sat down on the floor and found  the longest basset on 
earth in my lap kissing me all over.  My mother and Steven said, OK, let’s go;  
it’s a done deal.  We spent the rest  of the afternoon getting to know one 
another…I took him for a walk, spent some  time in the yard, and then said 
good-bye.  After leaving him with his WONDERFUL FOSTER family we went to a 
flea  market and there was a vendor there who happened to make Dog ID tags…so 
of  course I had his tags made with his new name and new address.  Two weeks 
later his foster parents  brought him to me. He walked in the house, Owen 
went right up to him and started  kissing him…and right then and there I 
promised Abe he found his forever  home.  You see, Abe lived in three  previous 
homes before going to his foster home and I being his 5th  and final home.   
Abe made  himself very comfortable as if he lived with us his entire life.  
 
It took a few weeks to get to know Abe’s  quirks…a true garbage hound, 
quintessential counter cruiser and a hunter who  would not give up his prey 
(raw steak , chicken , a entire bag of Hall’s  Menthol  cough drops, entire 
whole  wheat Challah bread and the list goes on).  Abe LOVED to lay in front of 
the front storm door (full view of course  bought just for him)  so he 
could  howl at the world as it went by.   
We had many many adventures with Abe…one of  my favorites was when we were 
attending the Trout Parade for the benefit of  Mid-Atlantic Basset Hound 
Rescue  in  the Catskill Mountains .  Being that  Steven and I are huge yard 
sale lovers we decided to take advantage of a new  territory to investigate…so 
off we go early AM…Abe was in the back seat with the  windows open taking 
in the mountain air…as we were driving a bird almost hit the  car on the 
passenger side which startled me.  We arrived at our first yard sale and  Steven 
hot foots it to the goods…of course I get out of the car and stick my  head 
in the back window to tell Abe we will be right back….I couldn’t believe 
my  eyes…sitting and I mean sitting right next to Abe’s head  was a bird…the 
bird that I thought  almost hit us…Abe was just hanging with the bird like 
it was the most natural  thing. Instead of grabbing the camera which was on 
the front seat I yelled for  Steven to come quick…he comes running as he 
approached the car the bird (which  was probably stunned) flew out the window…
Damn, what a Kodak moment that I  lost!!  But that was Abe, loved  everyone 
he met…and everyone who would come into our home, whether it be human,  
canine or feline.   
Abe mostly loved his home and would prefer  to be home than go to events. 
The last Waddle he attended he refused to go to  the parade he absolutely 
pulled a flat basset and refused to enter, instead he  pulled me back to the 
car so instead of waddling Abe went swimming in the Ocean  and we sat on the 
Boardwalk and waited for all 642 bassets to complete the  waddle.   
July 26, 2010 Abe was diagnosed with Lymphoma, it was  determined that it 
was “B” cell which is supposedly the better and more  responsive to chemo .  
For the next  11 months we spent every Thursday going to the Oncologist at 
Redbank Veterinary  Hospital which is a 45 minute ride up and back.  Abe 
responded really well to the  treatment and endeared himself to the entire 
staff of the hospital .  When they would bring him out to me  after having his 
treatment he would come running to me full speed with his ears  flying. How 
funny to see an   86 pound, four foot  8”  long  basset with that lovely 
basset  roll come at you.  He would  entertain the other clients and would  
greet every little dog that would come into the hospital…especially the  Pugs…
he loved Pugs, I almost got him a pug of his own but that’s another  story.  
He likes the little dogs as  they were the same eye level .  Sometimes we 
would go to the dog park prior to treatment or post  depending on the time of 
day and of course the weather.  At the park he always gravitated to the  
small dog area but of course because of his size the owners of the small dogs  
would frown upon me putting him in that area so if he was lucky a small dog  
would  be in the large dog area and  he would then play with the small dog 
doing the zig zag and barking the entire  time.  It was adorable.  
Abe was also the official Mascot of the New Jersey  Parent’s Club of the 
U.S. Naval Academy, he had his own coat and navy hat and  would attend the 
tailgates that we provided for anyone in uniform.  Abe was very tolerant of his 
mommy  dressing him up.. He had many costumes , another being his yarmulke 
with his  curls and his Dreidel  necklace that  he wore during Hanukkah .  
He also  won first place for his costume at the Board Waddle one year, he was 
dressed up  as Abraham Lincoln with a beard and stove pipe hat.  He also 
won 2nd and  3rd place for longest ears with George E. Grunt beating him  out…
biggest feet and he would have won for longest basset if they had the  
category…LOL!!! 
I will miss our morning ritual where he would come to the  foot of the bed 
after eating his breakfast and Steven would say,  “Allllllllllllllll Aboard”
 and he would use  the ottoman in front of the bed to  facilitate his 
flight onto the bed but not till he made the attempt at least  three times. I can 
go on with his antics…… 
Sadly Abe’s body stopped responding to  the chemo and the lymphoma won… 
Abe died on my Father’s birthday…my Father  is the cause of my love for 
bassets…I told my Father that he was receiving an  angel on his birthday and 
to welcome him with open arms.   
If you would like to see the many many pictures of Abe  you can go to my 
Facebook page and see him in his different costumes and  environments or just 
Abe!! _http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1632690120_ 
(http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1632690120)  
I have many many dogs, all different breeds and they were  all really 
wonderful dogs but I have to say I have never had a dog quite like  Abraham who 
was really quite the character who really buried himself in my  heart.  
We love you Abraham Ga-linkin and miss you so very very  much…. 
Shelley Galinkin, Steven Wexler, Owen (now 12 ½) , Mary  Todd Ga-linkin and 
Betty White…. 
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