Requiem for Logan
August 30th, 2008 . by Cary
What a gangly little boy you were! You came into our lives when TMBWitW’s sister called and asked if we could adopt you. You had been abandoned by the breeder, because you weren’t “pure” enough. We thought you were pure love, so that was good enough for us.
Crate training sucked… you wanted to run and play! But you did train very quickly and learned to only go potty outside.
You loved taking a bath in the kitchen sink – while you fit. That didn’t last long. You grew pretty fast.
Your sisters all loved you. TMBWitW liked to give you hugs, and Sara, Princess, Sadie, Mackenzie and Cinnamon would take turns playing with you.
Princess wanted to know if she could swim with you.
Never pass up the chance for a good nap. When you were only six months old, you were diagnosed with polyneuropathy, which is a big word meaning “the nerves and the muscles don’t talk to each other.” You started spending more time laying down than standing up. Dad bought a garden wagon to take on the walks, for the times you just couldn’t get all the way around the block. Mom and Dad agreed that they would do everything they could for you, but if it came to the point where you were in pain they would not keep you here for selfish reasons. Mom and Dad love you very much, and they want you to have a good quality of life.
Helping Dad is hard work – so it’s time for another nap!
A new addition was greeted with the same love you show everyone.
“May I have some more, please?” As time went on, your hips and back legs wouldn’t always work right. Even when you got up, you sometimes needed help getting in and out the back door.
Easter and time to share the goodies! You tried to convince MEG to hand over the jelly beans…
Guarding the hallway.
Your back legs kept getting worse, in spite of the help and the work. By this time you were having more trouble getting outside, and the walks around the block had stopped because you couldn’t walk very far at all.
Sometimes, after we visited Dr. Powell (the chiropractor, for Dad’s back and your legs) you would just hang out in the front yard. You especially liked to sit “behind” the Christmas trees, and you were sure that no one could see you.
MEG loved you with all her heart, and you loved her right back. She would go running to you, shouting “Logey Ogey!” Sometimes, she would lay on your back and give you a full body hug.
By now we knew that when you were whimpering, it wasn’t because you wanted to go outside, or move to another room. You were whimpering because even laying down, it hurt. Your hips hurt, your legs hurt, and your back hurt. Your right hip had degenerated to the point that there was almost no support there for your body. Even with Dad helping you get in and out of the house, it hurt for you to walk. Mom and Dad knew that the time had come to not be selfish about wanting to love you for as long as possible.
We did, however, spoil you as much as we could for the last week that you were with us. We knew that you were going to go on ahead of us, and we spent all the time we could loving on you, and making sure you had special treats (don’t tell your sisters!) and taking you to the dog park. You loved to roll on the grass, and Dad just couldn’t get enough grass to ever grow in the back yard for you.
By the time you all read this, Logan will be waiting at the Rainbow Bridge.
Our friends at Acoma Animal Clinic have been nothing but supportive while we made this most difficult of decisions. They helped us to say good bye to Logan this morning. I cannot say enough good things about the doctors and staff at Acoma; their compassion and caring for your furkids (and featherkids, and scalekids) is second to none.
LOGAN
February 2005 – August 2008
You showed us how to love everyone.
We miss you so much.
God bless Logan. What a beautiful tribute. We lost our Palm Sprocket after 14 years just last year. She was a saint! She too was in so much pain near the end that we had to let her go. My thoughts and prayers in this tough time. Hang in there!!
Thanks, Chief. We’re hangin’.
Prayers are given. God Bless.
Thank you, Doug.
OK, I’m crying my eyes out right now. That was just beautiful. It also reminds me of our loss last December. Saying good bye to your canine friend is never easy. Hang in there.
When a member of your family leaves the family, it’s hard. When you have to decide when it’s time for that member to leave, it can tear you up pretty good.
Stepping over his spot in the doorway, not walking on his blanket going in and out of the bedroom – I even miss helping him in and out of the house. When he would lay down at night, sometimes his legs would get a twitch going, and his paw would *taptaptap* against the bedroom door.
I can’t believe how empty the house feels, even though there are four other dogs still here – and they seem to be looking around, wondering where he went. They look at us, and seem to be feeding their emotions off of us. Everyone is subdued.
Garry Owen, my friend.
Thank you, Greybeard. We are honored.
Dogs quickly become members of our family. Their pain becomes a source of pain for us too. Great tribute to a fine dog.
Thanks, Gunny. I appreciate your understanding.
If love counts, then Logan would be alive forever……where he’s alive in your hearts and minds. What a great friend he was and this post is a fine tribute to that friend.
Thinking of you all.
Ok there is something in my eye… Moisture of some kind, must be humid in here.
Gotta be hard bud, sincere condolences.
Brother Cary and Mrs. Cary,
Wow! Incredibly sad and heartbreaking but at the same time it probably makes a lot of us feel even closer to you all.
Thanks for being so transparent. It’s refreshing.
Hey, Grey beard, Garry Owen.
Cary, I told you I stink at Word Twist. But I still have fun with it.
Thank you, Loon, Robert, and Brother Johnny. Please excuse the lack of posting, I’m just not feeling especially wordy right now.
Thank you to all; your compassion is touching, and words cannot express how it is helping us.
Thank you ever so much for sharing all these wonderful photographs with us. I’ll wager we can all relate to an animal or series of animals who not only have had personalities plus, but managed to help each and every one of us through some very shaky and difficult times in our individual lives. I’m sure this brings back good memories and some heavy melancholia for everyone reading this post.
Thanks again for sharing.
BZ
I am so terribly sorry for your loss.
The Dance
Looking back on the memory of
the dance we shared, beneath the stars above.
For a moment all the world was right,
how was I to know that you’d ever say good bye?
And now I’m glad I didn’t know
the way it all would end, the way it all would go.
Our lives are better left to chance,
I could have missed the pain,
but I’d have had to miss the dance.
Holding you, I held everything,
for a moment, wasn’t I the king?
If I’d only known how the king would fall
hey who’s to say, you know I might have changed it all.
And now I’m glad I didn’t know
the way it all would end, the way it all would go.
Our lives are better left to chance,
I could have missed the pain,
but I’d have had to miss the dance.
Tony Arata
~AirmanMom returning to her blog…
My heart goes out to you and if love could have been a cure you would still have the beautiful Logan with you. Our Lord gives him love now whilst he waits for you. You will all be in my prayers tonight and know that Logan had the best home then and is pain free and happy again now.
God Bless
Hazel
Hazel in the UK » Thank you so much. We know that we gave Logan the best home possible, and that he is, indeed, in a better place.
Beautiful post. I’m so sorry about your loyal and dear friend. Sounds like you guys enriched each other’s lives. We had our dog for 16 years and had to make that same awful choice last summer. My thoughts are with you and your family.
A warm “thank you” to all I have not mentioned; and thank you for sharing in our grief by letting us know about your grief. By sharing the load, it does seem to be lighter, but it will never go away.
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