Culvert Speer
Born: August ??, 1995
Rescued and adopted: November 26, 1995
Died: September 19, 2009
Today we said good-bye to a faithful and loving friend. As you may have read in an earlier post, Culvert became extremely sick during the early morning hours on Wednesday. We were told that we could expect “marked improvement” in his coordination, appetite, and behavior within 72 hours.
As of this morning, he was still staggering and stumbling. He was still not eating. And in his eyes, he was just pleading for us to let him go.
So we did.
We all took turns giving him one final hug, one final rub between his ears or under his chin, one final pat on the back, one final rub on the belly…and then it was time. Culvert walked through our front door into the front yard for the very last time. Took his final survey of the bushes lining the driveway. Sniffed the air for all those glorious “keeping it country” smells. And then got into the car for the final ride of his life.
Our house seems a little empty tonight. There’s no food or water dish just inside the back door. There’s no giant, unused pet bed in the corner of the nook. There’s no large bag of dog food next to the water heater in the garage. There are no cans of dog food stacked in the pantry.
There’s no furry black mass on our living room rug.
No click-click-clacking of toenails on our wood floor.
No tail-wagging, doggie-panting, eager little face to greet us as we walk in the door.
And though our house is a little emptier and a little quieter, we are grateful for the 14 years we shared with our faithful friend. From the day we found him, a little 3-month-old puppy abandoned on the shoulder of I-20, he has filled our life with energy, enthusiasm, and showed us the meaning of complete trust and unconditional love.
Run and play, Culvert. Chase those rabbits. Bark at those hot-air balloons. Sniff the smells and hang out with the other dogs and play with those eternal squeaky toys that will never break. Thank you for letting us have the privilege of being your owners. We will never forget you.