Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: July 27, 2025, 9:16 am

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
End of an era, Fletcher's turn.
#34
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn.
(September 1, 2013 at 12:46 am)whateverist Wrote: [Image: 9530228287_d65a03e7d1_c.jpg]

My old dog Fletcher, whose mug graces my avatar pic, is ready to check out. He has stopped eating anything, is breathing hard and is too weak to walk more than 10 or 20 faltering feet. But I took him for a ride in the wheelbarrow today and he held his head up on the way and for a while once we got there. I either had to have the vet come today to put him down or wait until Tuesday, after our Labor day holiday. I'm glad to know that decision is unavailable this weekend. But it is time to say good bye before his difficulty breathing causes him to die of suffocation. That would not be a nice way to go.

[Image: 9642338980_b83f09029e_z.jpg]

[Image: 9642344704_a195a265b2_z.jpg]

A week ago he could still walk around the block to the park on his own and make it down to the creek for a soak.

[Image: 9542485148_746fa7b2ab_z.jpg]

He is laying on the couch beside me now and it feels good to bask in his company a little longer. The last dog I put down was 15 and a half. Losing Sophie was like losing a dutiful daughter. She was proud to follow every command and even enforced the rules with new dogs that came into our home. Fletcher is very different. He is his own dog. Has never understood the concept of a command. Ever since Lia's aunt and uncle brought him home as a pup when they were in their early 80's (at our suggestion), I think Fletcher had the idea that a command was an invitation for oppositional play. He is 14 years, 2 months old. More would have been nice, but it is all a bloody miracle, in the non-religious sense of course.

What has made his rogue behavior acceptable is his social grace and confident but benign temperament. He is affectionate, but he's a giver. You can only pet him a little and he'll grab your hand and try to wash your freckles off with his tongue. My god but I'll miss his foot baths. He would wash between every toe and make my feet just tingle after a long walk. He is the kind of dog that makes you proud to be his friend and I'm sure he has changed the way I will interact with other dogs from now on. He has also been one hell of an example of how to approach life on your own terms and to revel in every moment. He'll be missed but I've learned too much from him to let that get me down.

You make me what to cry, I know exactly what your going through and went through with my own dog, I could bear to be there when they put him down. He was a smart too, whenever me or my mother were making a sandwich he use to walk up behind us as quitely as he could and then start barking like the house was on fire in hopes we get scared and drop meat. he also used to play in the water dish.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Reply



Messages In This Thread
End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Whateverist - September 1, 2013 at 12:46 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Silver - September 1, 2013 at 1:00 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by popeyespappy - September 1, 2013 at 1:10 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Rayaan - September 1, 2013 at 1:23 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Michael Schubert - September 1, 2013 at 1:25 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by rexbeccarox - September 1, 2013 at 2:33 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Zen Badger - September 1, 2013 at 3:23 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Kayenneh - September 1, 2013 at 7:57 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Rahul - September 1, 2013 at 11:31 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Minimalist - September 1, 2013 at 11:37 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Captain Colostomy - September 1, 2013 at 2:52 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Whateverist - September 1, 2013 at 4:07 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Jackalope - September 1, 2013 at 4:19 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Whateverist - September 1, 2013 at 6:09 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Whateverist - September 1, 2013 at 11:47 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Minimalist - September 1, 2013 at 6:10 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Psykhronic - September 1, 2013 at 6:14 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Jackalope - September 1, 2013 at 8:43 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Rahul - September 2, 2013 at 8:51 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Jackalope - September 2, 2013 at 8:44 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Minimalist - September 3, 2013 at 2:42 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Crossless1 - September 2, 2013 at 12:21 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Whateverist - September 2, 2013 at 12:39 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Jackalope - September 2, 2013 at 8:47 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by The Reality Salesman - September 2, 2013 at 12:50 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Rahul - September 2, 2013 at 7:48 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by The Reality Salesman - September 2, 2013 at 7:51 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Kayenneh - September 2, 2013 at 8:16 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Minimalist - September 2, 2013 at 8:19 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Angrboda - September 2, 2013 at 8:57 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Whateverist - September 2, 2013 at 9:39 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by The Reality Salesman - September 2, 2013 at 9:18 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Angrboda - September 3, 2013 at 1:09 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Lemonvariable72 - September 3, 2013 at 1:58 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by The Reality Salesman - September 2, 2013 at 9:42 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Lemonvariable72 - September 2, 2013 at 9:56 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Mystical - September 3, 2013 at 3:01 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Whateverist - September 3, 2013 at 9:46 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Faith No More - September 3, 2013 at 9:36 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Minimalist - September 3, 2013 at 10:51 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Mystical - September 3, 2013 at 11:33 am
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Kayenneh - September 3, 2013 at 12:09 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Whateverist - September 3, 2013 at 7:29 pm
RE: End of an era, Fletcher's turn. - by Kayenneh - September 4, 2013 at 5:05 am

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Is modern era comfortable, but empty? Macoleco 40 5634 January 4, 2023 at 6:25 pm
Last Post: The Architect Of Fate
  The Poll To End All Polls no one 12 1809 February 5, 2019 at 7:11 pm
Last Post: Yonadav
  Do you know why the end of the month is still too far away? Silver 15 3566 April 22, 2018 at 2:51 pm
Last Post: Silver
  The end of this month cannot come fast enough Silver 22 5959 April 15, 2018 at 11:46 pm
Last Post: c172
  At the end of my tolerance notimportant1234 4 838 January 26, 2018 at 1:23 pm
Last Post: notimportant1234
  Biological Strategy to end Racism chimp3 46 6418 September 26, 2016 at 12:49 am
Last Post: vorlon13
  My turn -- Post Here And I'll Tell You What I like About You Edwardo Piet 43 8561 August 16, 2016 at 12:51 pm
Last Post: J a c k
  Ghost Busters 2 - End of the world dyresand 4 1163 February 15, 2016 at 2:06 am
Last Post: dyresand
  How will the planet end? Aoi Magi 34 6100 August 21, 2015 at 12:28 am
Last Post: ignoramus
  Well all good things must come to a end dyresand 13 3612 August 9, 2015 at 7:17 am
Last Post: ignoramus



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)