I had hoped to return to blogging under better circumstances. Unfortunately, it is to relay some bad news: Last week, our dog Blue passed away.
In January, doctors removed part of Blue’s right lung. We then began administering chemo. Three types in fact. Sadly, the cancer proved resistant to treatment, and we had begun shifting from treating the cancer to trying to make his last days comfortable and filled with love. We weren’t quite ready to say goodbye, but, then again, no one is ever really ready.
In May 2015, we lost Scotch, our first Cocker Spaniel. Our plan was to make the most of the summer, and we would think about getting a new dog in the fall. We lasted two months.
We went back to OBG Cocker Spaniel Rescue with a checklist a mile long. Even though Blue didn’t check many of our boxes, they asked us to look after him for a couple of days until his foster could take him. We handed Blue over, and I flew to Colorado for work. Laura and I talked it over, and we decided to adopt Blue. We were tricked into it, but we had found our new dog.
While Scotch had always been a quiet old man, Blue was a young pup. His joy and energy were infectious, and it was just what we needed after Scotch’s passing. Even when he got in trouble. Which he did. A lot. He counter surfed. He chewed his way into several packages. And he escaped from every crate we tried (thereby inspiring his Instagram name, Hairybluedini).
Big Brother and Best Friend
Blue was an excellent big brother. First to our daughter Anna, and then to another Cocker Spaniel, Winston. He would nap alongside Anna, and he taught Winston every single one of his bad habits. The three of them grew up together and became best friends. Blue was always quick to defend his siblings from the neighborhood crows, squirrels, and foxes. He was the first to the back door to greet us, and the last one to go to bed at the end of the day.
Bye Bye, Blue
For Mother’s Day, we went to a winery, where Blue could roll in the grass, meet some big dogs (i.e., horses), give the owner’s cat the stink eye, and get all the belly rubs. It was a day of new sights, smells, and adventures.
As it became harder for Blue to take his medicine, we gave Blue the best kind of dog treats: human food. Walking had become difficult, so Blue started cruising the neighborhood in Anna’s old stroller, nose in the air, sniffing like mad.
On Friday afternoon, Laura went to pick up Anna from school. Ironically, I was away on another business trip to Colorado. We believe Blue went to my office, laid down to take a nap, and never woke up. We believe it was calm and peaceful. While we wish we could have said goodbye, and we wish we could have done more for him, we are sure he knew how much we loved him and how much we will miss him.
