[Dailydrool] Douglas- ATB 27/11/12

[Anthony Burges]

Dear All,

If anyone wants to sling some drool long distance we could use some- I don't
post often but have read the drool for over 7 years and have picked up so
much valuable information over the years.

Some may remember when I first got Douglas some 6 and a half years ago and
he was diagnosed with a serious heart valve problem, a 5 out of 6 for
severity, the vets gave him at most two years to live. Proving what a
typical basset he is he was to stubborn to listen and is now six and half
but the end arrived this evening. 

 

My wife and children came home and let Douglas outside, he went outside and
went to his usual position under the swing and quietly and without ceremony
left for the rainbow bridge. Stupid to ascribe mere human values to a
basset, they are much better than us, but I think he wanted to say goodbye
to the kids before he left- they came in and hugged him and patted him as
usual before he went outside. I had spoken to him when I was home for lunch
and knew the time was close, I was about to make a time with his vet but
told Douglas that it was okay to leave as and that my mother who also left
this year would be waiting for him as she adored him.

 

Douglas was our first basset after falling in love with bassets in Ireland-
he came into our life in 2006 and everything changed. New friends- many of
them whom only knew Douglas by name, not we at the other end of the leash
and the joys of bassetude. The swagger on an undesexed basset (we didn't
neuter him as the vets didn't think he would survive a GA) caused much
amusement, comments about things dragging on the ground were either about
his ears or more likely the "wedding tackle". He was a minor celebrity in
the suburb- everyone knew him and he enjoyed the attention- I don't doubt he
will be muchly missed. The vets knew him well- always an irritable stomach,
episodes of bowel obstruction and emergency surgery barely slowed him for a
day or so much to everyone's amazement. He was so typical of the breed-
tolerated the people puppies doing anything to him- eventually moving off
when it got too much. The only things that suffered at his hands were my
wife's lambskin slippers of which he destroyed a few pairs and the evil
cumquat tree in our front garden


Having read the stories about bassets, it became clear he was a typical
basset- stubborn, wilful but so full of love and joy to his family. I miss
him, mess, slobber, smell and all. I have been close to tears all day
knowing that I would need to send my friend off, Douglas being Douglas
decided that he would simply make my life easier and go on his own terms and
quietly slipped away. Hard for me but the children are of course devastated
by his departure.

 

Go in peace big dog, I love you and will miss you. I look forward to seeing
you across the rainbow Bridge as Grandma the rescuer has already taken him
across

 

Anthony, Juliette, Maddie and Charlie and now Douglas ATB 

50 Polding Street

Drummoyne NSW

2047

Australia

 

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