We put sweet little Buddy down Friday. He had a stroke a week ago Friday that messed up his balance, but then for several days he recovered very well. However, late Wednesday evening he had another, worse stroke, and couldn't walk at all.
Buddy's vet, Dr. Bohne came to our house early yesterday afternoon. We were cuddling him in his favorite spot, on his bed in our bedroom. We had been petting and cuddling him every waking moment for over a day, and Buddy loved it. Buddy likes Dr. Bohne, and was happy to see him. Dr. Bohne was very kind and sweet, and within moments Buddy was asleep. We kept petting him and talking to him for awhile, and then carried him to his grave I had dug the day before on a sunny knoll in view of our bedroom window. Buddy was long and tall, and he still weighed 70 pounds. I would dig awhile, stop, come in and pet Buddy, notice how big he was, and go out and dig some more.
Besides us, Buddy's good friend, Kathy our gardner, was with us, and was petting Buddy too when he was put down. We gave a tearful little ceremony, just me reading a sweet poem a friend had sent, our eyes filled with tears, my voice sometimes failing.
We left Buddy's collar and tags on him, and put a bowl, a leash and a tennis ball by him so he would always have some of his things with him. Then I filled his grave and put a temporary grave stone with his name and approximate date of birth – April 1997 – and death, Feb. 22, 2013.
Later I went by the vets office, and the ladies at work there started crying when I came in. Buddy was one of their favorites, he loved going to the vet, and he always went to each of them for some attention and a treat.
Even when he couldn't walk anymore, he never seemed to be in pain.
We have many things we are grateful for. Our years with Buddy were wonderful, and as he neared death, our friends and neighbors have been here for us and for Buddy. While I was away a few days, Randy Jones, Chuck Cappotto, Brent Klopfer, and Joel Chaban helped Alice walk Buddy, and get him up and down our stairs. Alice is so grateful that we didn't have to put Buddy in a kennel or pet hospital while I was gone. For all his life with us, he was either with us or friends and family. If you ever saw Buddy in our house, you know how special that was to him.
Alice and I have picked up our routines again – having routines is wonderful – but we've been distracted and every now and then I just look out the window at Buddy's grave, and sigh. But then we smile at a memory of Buddy's sweet, playful spirit.
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