Some of you may remember me talking about Chuey the Wonder Dog on these pages before.
He was a really an exceptional dog.
I found him some 13-plus years ago at a local rescue. Chuey was a Shar-Pei mix and he'd been abandoned/dropped off with several of his litter mates while the shelter had been closed for the weekend. Somehow, he and his little puppy brothers and sisters managed to survive until personnel showed up to feed and water them and get them checked out by a vet. The gang was around 6-weeks old at the time.
I got to meet him about a week later, then checked the Internet to see how large male Shar-Peis got (around 40-45 pounds), applied to adopt him, and waited until they checked out my house and yard to make sure I had room for a dog. I figured 45 pounds would be a pretty good size--large enough to be considered a "real" dog, and small enough that it wouldn't be like living with livestock.
Chuey was knocking at the door of 95 pounds at his last vet check-up--not fat, all muscle, but certainly approaching the definition of livestock. But that beautiful boy was a very gentle and careful form of livestock right to the end.
He passed quietly this morning at 10:05.
I knew something wasn't right when I got up and found him sprawled on the floor and unwilling or unable to get to his feet even when he heard me filling his food bowl.
At 8 when the office opened, I called his vet, a really caring doc, and asked for the earliest appointment. I was told 10:30 was the soonest they could see him. I then got hold of HazCat and Haz Jr. to help me get the boy to the office as he is more than I can handle alone. They said they would come over at 10:15. I sat with Chuey while we waited.
I had a chance to tell him what a great dog he was, scratch his head and ears, and promise him it would soon be better. Then, at 10:05 his great heart stopped beating.
Chuey had lived a pretty good life for an abandoned puppy. He'd taken two very extended road trips with Bunny and me. Once all the way from home in Florida to California, and once to Arizona where we still have family. At every step of the journey, he behaved as the gentleman he was and as if he was having a lifetime adventure. Chuey was a great hotel guest.
He was always a favorite at the dog park, too, because he seemed to know just how rough he could play with the other dogs--even the little ones or the older and infirm dogs. But it was at home that he really earned his keep.
I never had to worry about Bunny when I had to be gone. Chuey was so protective there was no need for me to worry.
As I began to have some of my own medical issues, Chu seemed to know and would station himself outside the shower just standing guard while I washed away the day's dirt. At night, he was always right there beside my bed as the first line of defense against things that go bump in the night. During the day, he was in whatever room I happened to be in--not intrusive, just close by.
I loved that old dog so much. And missing him just hurts.
Thanks for listening.
Crusader Rabbit
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