Asher

Rest In Peace

by  • 

Asher

Asher

February 7, 2006 – June 15, 2017

 

Asher was diagnosed with advanced lymphoma on June 8th. The disease ravaged his body but could not touch his sweet soul.

Neither surgery nor chemotherapy were viable options. Besides, he wanted to spend his last days chasing imaginary coyotes at Asherpark with his beloved Journey.

During the last week of his life, Ash continued to shower the world with licks and kisses. He barked rudely for his ball, played a little bump and run with Journey, and enjoyed every meal, bone, and treat that came his way.

Despite his growing discomfort, Ash never withdrew. He had to put on a show for his friends. He followed his mom everywhere and lay quietly at her side as she wrote this post.

 “He died that day because his body had served its purpose. His soul had done what it came to do, learned what it came to learn, and then was free to leave.” 1

Godspeed, Ash. You will be forever missed.

 

 

1Garth Stein, The Art of Racing in the Rain

Journey

Stoned!

by  • 

Journey

Journey is a happy little mutt. She’s not even two years old and she already knows lots of commands. She has great house manners and everybody loves her.

But Journey is still a puppy and like any puppy her mouth is always busy. She has a nose like a bloodhound and finds the tiniest most obscure piece of food or junk to eat.

Mom has been trying to teach Journey not to eat stuff she finds on the ground, but so far Journey’s not cooperating. Sometimes Journey will trade up if mom has a really good treat, but usually she swallows the treasure before mom can stop her.

Last week Journey gobbled up something that smelled good. Me and mom didn’t see her do it and we have no idea where she found it or what it looked like. Journey couldn’t remember because she’d eaten a bunch of junk that day.

Me and Journey lay down for our nap like usual, but when Journey woke up something was bad wrong. Journey was lying in a big puddle of urine that leaked out while she was asleep. She was real embarrassed because she never has accidents in the house. Mom thought maybe Journey had an infection and was about to call the vet when it happened again.

Mom took Journey outside to go pee. Journey could hardly walk and staggered around like she was drunk. Mom carried Journey back in the house and put her on the couch while she called the vet. We were all worried something terrible about Journey.

Journey started to nod off on the couch. Her eyes were funny looking – all pupil and none of her pretty blue. When mom shined a light in Journey’s eyes, the pupil stayed big.

Journey woke up enough so she could get herself to the car. Mom lifted her up and put her in her crate. I jumped in next to Journey and we raced off to the emergency vet. I know mom was super worried. Was Journey having a stroke? Did she eat poison?

The emergency vet took us in right away. He watched Journey for a few minutes and asked mom a bunch of questions. Then he looked up and said he thought it was a THC overdose. I was just about to ask mom what is THC when the vet said, “It looks like Journey has overdosed on marijuana.”

What the heck?  We don’t have marijuana so where did Journey get it? I was wracking my brain. We’d had company the day before and there had been three different guys working at the house. But they sure wouldn’t have given Journey some of their stash. The little fool had to have found it on the ground or swiped it from somebody.

The vet said he could run a pee test to prove that Journey got into THC, so we paid extra just to confirm the diagnosis. Sure enough, it came back positive for THC.

Journey was starting to act normal, so the vet said she could go home. If her symptoms had been worse, she would have had to stay with the vet in case her blood pressure dropped and she went into a coma. How scary is that thought??

When we got Journey home she drank a bunch of water, ate some treats, raced around the yard and then collapsed on her bed. This time when she woke up there was no puddle of urine and the blue part of her eyes was showing.

Journey kept apologizing for causing such a fuss. She said she didn’t know that what she ate had marijuana in it, but it must have tasted pretty good and she couldn’t promise not to do it again.

It’s hard to stay mad at Journey even though she scared us silly. I’m just so grateful she’s okay. Stoned or sober, I love our little Journey.

Journey

 

Asher

What Now?

by  • 

Ash

I turned eleven on February 7th. I’m officially a ‘senior’ dog, though nobody has bothered to tell me what that means.

I’ve had some sports injuries and I can’t jump like I used to, but I can still outrun Journey when we race down the driveway.

Mom says she and I are now at the same stage in life. That’s okay with me since mom can still take us hiking and do silly things with us.

I just wish mom would quit riding horses. She leaves me and Journey at home when she goes to the barn ’cause the horses don’t like us.

Mom tells me I will always be a silly boy no matter how old I get. I hope that’s true. Silly is fun and fun is good.

Journey keeps asking me when we’re gonna find another rescue dog that needs a home. I know mom misses having a pack of worn out mutts underfoot.

But it’s hard to know what to do. Should we get an old mutt who just needs a place to hang out? It would have to be a special dog that didn’t mind Journey racing around the house and using me for a landing pad.

Or should we pull a young dog out of a shelter so that Journey has somebody to play with when I don’t feel like Aussie slam games?

Mom says we have to be patient. The right dog will find us. In the meantime me and mom do fun stuff. She trusts me off leash so we walk together in quiet places.

Sometimes I wish you could put life on rewind and go back to times when everything was just right. Maybe that’s what pictures are for. They remind you of a special time that you want to remember forever.

Here’s one of my favorite pictures. It’s me and Tess with Jack and Nellie in the back of the car. It was crowded but we sure had fun together.

The Pack

It’s hard to make sense of things. If we hang onto the past we can miss the present. Without living in the present we won’t make a past to remember. I don’t know what to think, so I try to enjoy every minute of my life the way it is. And right now I have little Journey, the best pal a mutt could have. She’s my present and my future. She’s pure joy and I love having her as my sidekick.

Journey