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| Doggie Tales | ||||
| home | LINKS | picture gallery | warm & fuzzies | |
| 9/04 |
Saying Goodbye
to Sparky by Russ Towne from
www.heroicstories.com* Story Editor: Clayton Bennett California, USA Fifteen years ago, I met someone who became one of my best friends and most loyal companions. He was a little black ball of fur that my family named Sparky. When grown, he looked like a big black Labrador retriever with unusually short legs. Sparky was a special mutt, a faithful guardian to my family. He was gentle and patient with our three children; the four of them grew up together. At long last Sparky had reached the age of 105 in human years. Sparky’s formerly good health began to fail quickly. Then, for two days he could not stand up; one of his legs had become paralyzed. We had to bring food and water to his mouth. Sparky had to be carried, but he was in so much pain that it hurt me to move him. His pain pills for arthritis didn’t help much any more. I knew the dreaded time had come to take Sparky to the vet for the last time, but he was so big it would be difficult to get him there alone. I called my friend Ian to see if he would help carry Sparky to the vet’s office. Even though it meant taking time off from work, Ian didn’t hesitate to help. He even offered to drive his car, knowing how messy a very weak dog can be. When Ian arrived the next morning, we tried to lift Sparky, but he was in too much pain for us to lift him in our arms. Somehow, Sparky managed to stand up and limp to the car on three legs that still barely worked. We struggled to find a way to lift him into the back of Ian’s SUV. Ian suggested putting a towel under Sparky’s belly with his front legs dangling on one side and his rear legs dangling from the other. It worked, and it seemed to cause Sparky less pain. We drove to the vet. Luckily, Ian had brought along a big, heavy dog blanket. We were able to ease Sparky carefully onto the blanket, roll up the sides and carry him into the vet’s office. Ian stayed with me through it all. He was even there with me helping to soothe Sparky in his final moments of life. The vet had difficulty finding a vein, and very little fluid had been injected when he said Sparky was already gone. He said it was as though Sparky had already decided it was time to go. I will never forget the kindness that Ian showed in helping a friend out during a painful time. I’m blessed to have such a friend in my life. |
| 9/04 |
Jumping to the
Rescue by Bunny Chaney Story Editor:Joyce Schowalter South Carolina, USA from www.heroicstories.com* My son and I had been looking for a Boston terrier for months when we found one in 2002. He was emaciated, and both looked and smelled near death. I thought the man who had him should be strung up for treating an animal that way ... until he told us the story of Lucky, a black-and-white Boston Bull Terrier with a funny pushed-in face and big sad eyes. Lucky had been owned by a man, “Fred”, who had a mental disorder that required he take medicine. This medicine made him sleep quite deeply, so Fred only took it at bedtime. Lucky slept by his side. One night, Fred took his medicine, went to bed and fell sound asleep. The house wiring shorted and caught the house on fire. Being under the medicine’s power, Fred just continued to sleep. Lucky barked and barked. Fred didn’t hear him. Lucky wasn’t a trained aid dog—he was just one of those special animals that knew what to do. When Lucky realized Fred wasn’t waking up, he jumped into the middle of his chest and started licking his face. Fred finally began to wake up and realized the house was on fire. He crawled out the bedroom window. Once outside, it took a minute for Fred to wake up enough to realize he had left his dog behind. He reached through the window and grabbed Lucky, pulling him to safety. After the fire Fred had to move into an apartment where he couldn’t have animals. So he placed Lucky with a friend of his—with the intention that a good home be found for him. My son and I saw an ad in the paper offering Lucky for adoption to a good home, and called. Although he was in another city, it wasn’t far away so we took the drive to check him out. Despite, or perhaps because of, his condition, we brought him home. We’ve had him just under two years now, and he is four years old. Lucky inhaled enough smoke the night of the fire that his bark will never be normal again. He sounds like he has a throat full of pea gravel, but he has the spirit of a lion. Lucky sleeps with me now. If the least little thing happens that is not normal, Lucky jumps on me to make sure I wake up to check it out. I admire Lucky, I’m proud to have him around, and I’m looking forward to many more years with this brave and worthy companion. |
| 9/04 | The Fawn & The Ridgeback- an anonymous Internet Story |
 A
lady found the fawn under her doorstep (they think the doe might have
been hit by a car). |
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 Her
Ridgeback dog is helping look after it. The family named the fawn Bella.
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 Right
now she is being bottle fed. Their dog (Hogan) has basically taken over. The fawn even shares his bed. |
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* About
HeroicStoies.com (www.heroicstories.com)
HeroicStories begun in 1999, brings diverse, international voices to the
world - reminding us that people are good and that individuals and
individual action matter. HeroicStories has published over 500
stories. Editors Note: I have been reading HeroicStories for over 2 years now and it has continued to be a bright spot in my week. It is a tangible and convenient reminder of the good in people and of the good they do and the differences they make in the world. You can subscribe to the HeroicStores newsletter for free by visiting: www.heroicstories.com. |
