[Dailydrool] Jane Doe No More

[giggle at amanda-s.net]

The beautiful diva Jane D. Sherwin passed away Saturday morning.

She was a stray with filthy coat and long nails, taken from a shelter by a
rescuer and named Jane Doe.  Cleaned up, she bloomed into a beautiful red
and white French Basset, clearly underweight at 27 pounds.  We had just
lost Maggie, the 2007 BoardWaddle Door Prize.  Tri-State decided that Jane
Doe would be a sweet addition to our pack.

Sweet is an understatement.  Jane Doe had clearly been a lap dog at some
point in her lap, because my lap immediately became her choice of places. 
She enjoyed curling up on top of me in my recliner.  Unfortunately, the
ever-present laptop gave her too little space.  She would slide off my lap
to the recliner, but the two of us were just too big to sit next to each
other in that seat.  After 2-3 months of this, it finally became clear
that we needed to find a better solution.  I found one – a black leather
loveseat.  Jane Doe could curl up on my lap or paw the couch next to me
until it was comfortable for her to lie down, head touching my thigh. 
Cost of couch: $600.  Janey’s comfort: priceless.

Of course, she wasn’t called Jane Doe.  Before she even arrived, my
husband famously said, “she will be Jane Doe no more. She will be part of
our family.”  She became Jane D. Sherwin, lovingly called Janey.  Up to
thirty-five pounds, if there were such a thing as a teacup basset, that
would be Janey.  She loved being carried, almost as much as she loved
laps.  Sharon Wilder and I would share driving to basset events, each
bringing 3 dogs.  Although the other dogs were all seat-belted or crated,
Janey politely but firmly explained that she needed a lap.  She rode in
the passenger seat on my lap or Sharon’s, comfortably curled, sometimes
stretched, sometimes sitting up watching the world fly by.

The small red and white had great lungs.  At mealtime, Janey would start
the demand for food, followed by the pack.  This sometimes caused problems
when we visited friends whose bassets were, well, less diva-ish.  Since we
serve raw food, not kibble, meal preparations often took 5-10 minutes, all
conducted under her sharp eye and impressive lungs.

Her age was estimated to be somewhere between 8-12 in 2007.  Your guess is
as good as mine; she never revealed her true age.  “Somewhere between
spring chicken and older than dirt” is the best answer she’d give me.  She
had a unique way of solving problems.  If stuck at the top of a stairway
or presented with a dog door too wide for her to conquer, she’d simply
call for me.  Loudly.  Decisively.  Lungs like an operatic tenor.  I’d
come and carry her down the stairs, or push her through the door.

It didn’t take a problem to wrinkle her forehead though.  Janey had a
darling wrinkle right above her eyes, the kind of wrinkle built into her
face from puppyhood.  Almost as if the skin were sewn into place.

Sandy Gaston videotaped Janey at 2011 Michigan, preparing a spot for
sleeping.  As always, Janey was very specific about her comfort, and she
pawed deliberately to make a comfortable bed.  Wendie Prince helped.

At Slobberfest, Judy Hough took a lovely photo of Janey.  She also took a
not-flattering but very expressive photo of Janey on my shoulder.  The
photo of Janey is on OBR’s t-shirt this month.

Janey is running for the 2012 calendar for Senior Hounds Abound.

This is a huge loss for me.  Although she could be carried like a stuffed
toy, Janey had a huge personality.  She never said a bad word, let others
protect her, looked for comfort and food.  She loved to play with me in
the yard, jumping and running and doing the basset stance.  Janey slept on
my bed every night, sat next to me on the couch.  When she felt poorly,
she’d just walk over and look at me until I picked her up and held her on
my lap.  Then she’d sigh and fall asleep, head on my shoulder.

Three and a half years is a short time to have a friend like Janey.  Our
four-legged friends go so fast, whether it’s 17 years like a cat of mine,
or two months like an old, tired Basset.  The pleasure of living with an
older dog balances the enormous grief when they go.  If you can tolerate
that grief, there’s no dog like a basset over seven years of age.  If you
can’t tolerate that grief of such a short time together, please donate to
rescue to help them find homes.

This month, please consider buying a shirt with Janey’s picture from
OBR,http://www.ohiobassetrescue.org/  or voting for Janey at Senior Hounds
Abound,
https://services.gladstone-tech.com/seniorhoundsabound/product.php?id_product=37.
 Imagine a world where there are no more “Jane Does”.  Just hounds that
are deeply loved, like my Janey.

Check out my facebook page for pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/the.amanda.sherwin

Amanda and what’s left of the Goose Gaggle, Baby Ruth, Sherlock, Mell the
Beagle and Corkie the not-a-Yorkie