[Dailydrool] Memorial to Leia Round

[Tim Mayer]

It's been almost two weeks since I took my beloved Leia Round to the vet,
where she spent the last few days of her life back in a cage. I felt so bad
about that, even though the staff at the animal hospital did everything they
could to keep her comfortable. A couple years ago I lost three dogs in
thirteen months, and while one was unexpected, the others had lived long,
healthy lives. At the passing of each, I posted a memorial, both to honor
them and to help myself through the grieving process. And the memories serve
to remind me how these basset hounds are all so different, yet so much
alike, and how deeply they work their way into my heart. Even with the
addition of Reginald to the family, I'm not done grieving for Leia Round.
And so I'd like to share her story (the small part I played in it, at least)
with my friends.  

When I lost Beethoven and Dreamer only six days apart, the remaining hound
Maggie d'Earest really fell apart as much as I did, walking around
searching, whining, and such. She was lost without them, she'd never been
home alone before. And she'd always had anxiety issues. So after a couple
weeks I went to the websites of a number of rescues here in the Pacific
Northwest. And while I found a number of wonderful bassets available, one
photo caught my attention. It wasn't a very good photo, but this little girl
had the biggest, brightest eyes, and a sweet smile. She was a little older
than I was looking for, but at six or seven years old I felt we would have a
lot of time together. So, with the help of Oregon Basset Hound Rescue, this
precious basset/beagle mix came to my home in southern Oregon. 

Leia Round was an owner-relinquish, and those owners weren't her first. They
told us that they picked up Leia from a shelter. But since one of them was
ill, and it was taking an extensive amount of time for her care, they felt
that Leia needed to be in a home where she would receive the attention she
deserved. My guess is she spent enough time in cages at the shelter, and had
been through enough new homes and new families, that she wasn't bothered
much by moving again, and figured it was just another stop on her journey.
She immediately took over the doggie beds and Maggie didn't mind. They were
both seniors and so they just settled right in with each other. Leia was
still playful at times though, and I have some fun video clips of her
rolling around her dog bed, and dragging it around. Her genetics provided
her with a robust figure, with almost no discernable waistline. Okay,
there's no gentle way to say this: she was built like a barrel with short
legs and a head. Funny, funny girl, but everyone always ranted about how
cute she was!

Shortly after her arrival, a co-worker saw an ad on Craigslist.org for a
basset puppy, 10 months old, and I couldn't resist. So Dexter was added to
the family, and the puppy rubbed off on Leia. She became even more playful
for a time, while Dexter was growing up. But that wasn't to last long. As
Dexter's puppyhood waned, Leia's activity level returned to "normal". Her
name was Leia Round after all, and that's what she was best at. She hardly
seemed to notice when Maggie left to wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge. 

Surprisingly, she had no bad habits. She had no behavioral issues. She loved
to dig in the pea gravel to get a cool place to lay in, and she never dug in
the lawn. Smart girl - digging in the pea gravel never bothered me a bit.
She did like to bark in the back yard, probably the beagle in her. It didn't
take long for her to learn a new command: when she barked more than a couple
of minutes, I'd stick my head out the back door and say "Enough!" and she'd
stop barking, because she knew that if she didn't stop, she'd be back in the
house with the dog door closed. She really liked her dog door and her
freedom.

She was friendly and pleasant, but not affectionate. She liked to be pet
some, but didn't want to be held, coddled, snuggled, hugged, or picked up,
and was always somewhat distant. She usually wanted to be in the same room
with me, but never too close. In the last few months though, she sweetened
up. My mom noticed it too, and commented on it. Even though Leia didn't like
it at first, I had always maintained a steady dose of hugs and pets and
snuggles. Eventually it paid off. She had come around to the point where if
I stopped petting her, she'd move closer and push her head against me and
tell me "Don't stop." I was so happy about that: I felt that I had finally
broken through whatever hardships she'd endured, and whatever fear of
abandonment she might have harbored. I know I gave her the best home I
possibly could, and I think she was appreciative, and learned to show it.
She was always a cheerful girl, and it was so horrible those last few days
to see her in pain. It was with great sorrow that I had to let her go to the
Bridge at only eight or nine years old, but it was the right thing to do. 

My little bagel is now back with her friend Maggie, and probably doing what
she did best: stealing someone else's bed, and laying around. But when it's
time to meet up again, I know she'll be right there with the rest of my dogs
who are waiting, and she'll have a bounce in her step, a smile on her face,
and a lot of love pouring out of her strong, healthy heart. 

Thank you so much, Leia Round, for sharing the last 2 1/2 years with me.

 

Tim M.

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