On Wednesday January 22, our faithful friend and companion, Leo, passed away.
For the past year and a half, he had been going down hill, ever since he fell down the stairs and hurt his back. Although he recovered from that fall, he had reduced mobility, and was hardly able to leave his bed downstairs. Oftentimes, his entire back end was paralyzed. He was beginning to experience more frequent seizures, almost always in the middle of the night. I do not think he could hear or see well either. And frankly, he was acting like a senile old man (barked a lot and for no reason). That said, Leo was a great little friend and pet to us for the other 12.5 years of his life. He died just a few weeks shy of his 14th birthday.
We knew the end was coming, but perhaps were not aware of how fast it would really happen. On Tuesday morning, Leo had several seizures while Steve was packing for a business trip. As he was leaving for the airport around lunchtime, Steve called me at work and suggested I make a vet appointment to talk about whether we should start him on the anti-seizure medicine again. That afternoon when I got home from work, Leo was slow, but not much different than he had been. He managed to make his way to RJ's house for dinner, although he did not eat anything that night. We went to bed, not thinking much of it. And, I had made a vet appointment for him the next afternoon. When we woke up on Wednesday morning, he seemed even more dazed than the day before. I had to carry him outside to go to the bathroom. He just stared blankly and seemed hesitant to lay down and relax. That day, I ran home and checked on him a few times. I noticed that his breathing was becoming more and more labored as the day went on. By the time we went to our vet appointment at 4pm, he was wheezing and seemed really out-of-it. The vet told me that he was in heart failure and that I should put him to sleep right then and there. I could not do it. Carolyn was with me, so she knew that he was in very bad shape, but I needed to talk to Steve and RJ. No one realized that he was dying, not that day. . The vet was not happy with my decision to take him home, but I figured the worst that could happen was that he would
die.
So, Carolyn and I took him home and got RJ immediately when she got home from work. We called Steve. We skyped my parents. Everyone said their goodbyes to the little guy. RJ gave him a hamburger. Carolyn fed him some ice cream and water. Elizabeth kept trying to cover him with a blanket and pet him.
Then, RJ and I decided that the most humane thing to do was to put him asleep. I called our friends to come sit with the girls (
thanks Nikki, Joshua, Persephone!), while RJ and I took him to the after-hours vet. It was a little before 8 when we got in the car, less than 4 hours after the vet confirmed that he was in heart failure. I drove, while RJ held Leo in her arms. As we got close to the vet, RJ mentioned that he was peeing on her and we both noticed that his breathing was no longer labored. He passed there in the car, in RJ's arms, just a few blocks away from the vet as we drove through a very thick eerie patch of fog. I feel so much more at peace having him passing that way, in the arms of RJ (who has been such a big part of his life, and he in hers), rather than having to watch him get that final IV in the vet examination room.
When we came back home without the dog, Carolyn just crumpled into my lap and sobbed. Her tears stopped for a moment when she asked whether Uncle Steve liked dogs ..... because she hoped that he might play with Leo and give him some scratches. She also wanted to know whether in heaven, Leo would be the old disabled dog he was the past year or so, or the young dog who liked to flip around his octopus. We assured her that Uncle Steve and Dave (RJ's late husband) were welcoming Leo into heaven, and that he was most assuredly the young puppy without pain and seizures.
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Last night, on the night of his 14th birthday, we took Leo on his final walk around the block. Leo never used a leash and would often walk himself around the block. So, we figured this was the most fitting spot for his ashes. We stopped and talked to a few neighbors and scattered his ashes in all of the yards he liked to visit. We saved a few ashes to bring to Ohio, so he can be buried with Lady (my parents' first golden retriever), and a few more ashes to scatter in Ann Arbor, where he spent the first 4 years of his life.
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Jen and Pierce created a series of photos of Leo, during his younger years.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/102429345376928803148/posts/GDn3rwssM3j?cfem=1
And, RJ wrote a nice tribute about Leo the following morning:
I want to honor my little friend and companion, Leo. Leo passed away peacefully at 7.55pm yesterday, in my arms with his mom, Becky, by his side.
He was a sweet, devoted little dog who endeared himself to everyone who knew him. He was a companion to me during my hardest moments and made me smile, laugh…there was never a dull moment when Leo was around, especially when he played with his favorite toy-a stuffed octopus. We went on walks together and played and even though, he was Becky and Steve’s little prince, he was my precious little friend.
His two little sisters came later and he loved them immensely…he had grown older by then, but always watched them play and carry on.
Leo was a great example for Rascal, who joined my household in 2012 and they fast became friends. Leo tolerated Max, the cat who he respected from a distance.
We love you, sweet Leo-you were a wonderful dog and handsome with beautiful eyes!
Lee as I called him, gave me the greatest honor of settling down on my lap and in my arms, as he made his transition to Doggie Heaven… And for that I am grateful.
Sleep tight and frolic in God’s garden with no pain or struggles or seizures or paralysis, Lee. We will always miss you!
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Leo was born in Ohio, lived in Ann Arbor for 4 years, and then drove with us cross-country 10 years ago when we moved to Salt Lake City. He was a dog that sat on a chair, at the kitchen table. He hiked mountains. He rode on the airplane a few times. He loved laying in the sun in the front yard. He never wore a leash (and while I hated that, he stayed where he was supposed to be most of the time). He was knocked down a peg when Carolyn came along, but he was so gentle with the kids and always watched over them. He was a good little buddy. He is missed.
Oh, and Carolyn has already asked, "Can we get a new dog?"
The answer is NO.
