Moses was over 17 when he died, and boy, do I miss him. He was
my son, buddy and friend and we had been through both good times and
bad times together. Moses loved his walks in the park, meeting and
running with other dogs.
When he was a puppy and our daughter was about five, she would dress
Moses in doll clothes, place him in a red wagon, and walk him around
our back yard. He never minded!
Moses was laid back, relaxed, a happy dog. However, if he did not
like someone, he would let us know. He would bare his teeth, growl
and the fur on his back would stand up (short as it was)! I learned
immediately that he was an excellent judge of character, and if he
didn't like a person, he usually had a really good reason and was right.
He really enjoyed riding in our car with us and did not mind his
visits to the vet. However, we took him to the Oregon coast and he
hated it! Poor guy, that was not a vacation for him! No trees, parks,
just sand and the ocean and he got fleas!!!! Fortunately, we found a
groomer who was able to rid him of the fleas, but that was his last
vacation with us.
It was very difficult for me watching him grow old as he had
seizures, lost his hearing, couldn't walk as far as he used to, and
had problems with digestion. With all that said, he would snooze all
day, wake up late afternoon and want a walk, dinner and then another
walk! Unfortunately, he could not handle two walks in one day.
He loved the snow and hated the rain.
I was the one who adopted Moses, and I was the one who was with him
when he died. Even now, as I am writing this, tears come to my eyes.
My vet's are incredibly wonderful. They sent me a card, his paw print
and a poem titled "Rainbow Bridge." (You can access this poem at:
http://www.forvictoria.com/in_memory_of.html or http://
rainbowsbridge.com/Poem).
My husband and I were going to scatter his ashes in one of his
favorite parks, but his urn was sealed. Instead, I am dedicating an
area of our house to him. The urn will be placed there, as well as
his toothbrush (Yes, he loved getting his teeth brushed and if I
missed an evening, he did not let me forget it!) and the card, the
Rainbow Bridge Poem, his paw print, and the letter I received from
WSU informing me of the donation my vets had made in memory of him.
So as not to ruin any of these items, I had them laminated. And of
course, I will also put up pictures of him!
To many people, an animal is just an animal and a dog, cat, bird,
horse, etc. is nothing more than a pet. For others, these pets
become sons, daughters, best friends, confidants and so forth. They
are with you through thick and thin, and when they cross that Rainbow
Bridge, you really, really miss him or her. I know I do, and so does
my husband.
Janice and Stephan B.
