All
Things Basset: My Love of this Disobediant, Loveable, Food-Obsessed Breed |
8/29/06
My
beloved Murph Murph
With immense sadness I helped my sweetest
baby Murphy travel to the
Mickey
Mom to Murphy ATB, McDuff ATB and Morrisey
Murphy and Fetlock when both
were young and healthy, 1992
Murph 2004
My Murph:
Her eyes were bright and
curious until the end. I felt so guilty as I looked into her eyes and saw her asking , what’s happening, and then why? Her back legs gave out and she couldn’t
walk but everything else was fine. She liked to sit in the sun, always sat in
the kitchen when I was cooking, still caught “drops” easily. If only her back legs had kept up.
One of our favorite games
was hide and seek in the woods. We’d go for a
hike and then she’d get a little ahead and I’d duck behind a tree
and just wait. After a few minutes
she’d realize I wasn’t with her and she’d flee back along the
trail. She’d pass me as I hid behind the tree and just as she was
starting to run harder and panic, I’d step out and call her name and she’d
be so happy that I was there. She loved our rambles. So did I.
When she was much younger
and we lived in DC I’d take her to rock creek park
where there was a great dammed up stream. I’d stand on the bridge/dam and
throw a tennis back into the stream. Murph would go
fetch it and swim back with it in her mouth.
When McDuff came in 1997
she was fine for about a month. When
she realized he wasn’t leaving, she got really sick. The vets couldn’t figure out what
was wrong – she had intense fur loss, lethargy, and they started to talk
about “decisions”.
Well, they never did figure out what was wrong but I know it was
jealousy. And after a month or so,
she got over it, got better and got on with her life.
She had a lot of
heart. I hope she’s with
Margaret somewhere with lots of grass and maybe a wood to ramble in.
I love you Murph. I’m
so sorry I had to do this.
7/15/06
Video
of two year old Morrisey pepping up a 16 year old Murphy
basset_index_files\dogs
playing.MOV
basset_index_files\morrisey
and murphy.MOV
7/21/06
Ode
to McDuff, the big Kahuna
Email
Written from Mickey to Margaret on Feb. 22, 2006 I'm so
broken hearted and yet I also can't believe he's gone. I keep waiting for the
dog door to slam and see him bumbling through it. Mickey Mericle Date:
Tue, 21 Feb 2006 08:13:17 -0800 (PST) In 3 short days, the
bladder cancer I hoped he'd beat, returned with a
vengeance. He was seemingly fine Friday, I went on a weekend trip and he was
with my parents, but when I returned Sunday night he was lethargic and looked
like he was constipated. I took him to the vet Monday afternoon, hoping it
was just another peach pit type event, but it was the cancer, blocking his
colon and his urethra. The vet catheterized him so
he would be comfortable and I took him home for a last night. We ate some ice
cream and cottage cheese together, we went to the dog park where he could
barely play with The Ball (long time L'ers may remember The Ball story),
walked around the neighborhood to say goodbye to some friends, we did a lot
of videotaping and I cried for about 12 hours straight. He slept restlessly
last night curled up beside me and I was up with him most of the night. This morning, another visit
to the dog park. Then, wrapped in his blanket with The Ball between his paws,
and my arms around him, he was gone. I hope God (and Gretchen L.
who I know will watch out for him) remembers to scratch his armpit, throw The
Ball, stick out a leg so McDuff can happily hump, let him sit on the couch,
give him every day with sunshine, and give him lots of hills and green grass
to roam through, until I get there and take over. In his 8.5 years with me,
he survived so many things, it never occurred to me he wouldn't beat the cancer
and live to a ripe old age of 18 or 20 or 40.... I always said McDuff was my
heart, walking around on four legs. Today my heart died. Mickey Murphy, Morrisey and The
Great Duffinator, ATB Feb.21, 2006 Visit the
photo gallery to see some of the funny Duffy
pix. |
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