A Fond Farewell from our Hearts.......

Remembering Rusty

06/08/89 - 01/23/06

~ So long dear friend

You touched our hearts ~

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

(a tribute to Rusty)

IN MY MIND I SEARCH FOR DEFINATIVE WORDS

TO EASE "OUR" TROUBLED FEELINGS AND SADNESS.

THINKING BACK AND REMEMBERING ALL OF THE GOOD TIMES,

AND BAD. OUR JOYS, AND PAINS WE SHARED.

I MISS YOU SO MUCH RUSTY......

*mere words can hardly express*

YOUR LITTLE QUIRKS AND ATTITUDES,

AND YOUR RESPONSES AND DIFFERENT MOODS,

MADE YOU "YOU."

THE WAY IN WHICH YOU'D CALL TO US,

YOUR SOUND WAS SO WELL KNOWN.

SO LITTLE ON THE OUTSIDE YET

YOUR IMPACT WAS SO GREAT.

THE BIGGEST "SMALL" FRIEND ANYONE COULD EVER HAVE.

I HAVE GREAT LOVE FOR YOU.....WE ALL DO.

YOU NEVER MISSED A TRICK,

ON A NEED TO KNOW BASIS WERE YOU

AND WE LOVED THAT ABOUT YOU.

ALWAYS MAKING A GRAND ENTRANCE INTO EVERY ROOM,

YOU MADE YOUR PRESENCE KNOWN

AS I'M SURE YOU'LL DO AGAIN

ONCE SETTLED IN YOUR NEW SAFE PLACE.

YOU MADE AN INDULLABLE IMPRESSION

ON ALL WHO CAME IN CONTACT WITH YOU

THROUGHOUT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.

AND YOU'LL NEVER BE FORGOTTON.

YOUR SPIRIT AND PERSONALITY,

YOUR WARMTH AND PLAYFULLNESS SHALL REMAIN

EMBEDDED IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS

FOREVER......

IT WAS TRULY A BLESSING TO HAVE YOU IN OUR LIVES.

SO I BID THEE FAREWELL

SO LONG FOR NOW, MY FRIEND

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.........

Hello everyone. As you can see I've lost one of my best friends in the whole wide world. My Rusty is no longer with me and it's very hard for me to comprehend but I have to. It's just so hard to believe that he's gone. I take comfort in knowing that he had a very full life. ( a good life) And for the most part, he was pretty much a happy good spirited dog.

The decision was made on Sunday evening. I'd been pondering the idea for quite some time but when I looked at him that evening I knew it was time. When I got home from work, I went into the house and picked him up into my arms. Looking into his eyes as if to read his mind. I believe in my heart that he knew it was time and was ready. I picked up his best buddy Tutti, ( *pronounced "Tootie"*-- my yorkshire terrier) and did the best I could to explain to her and let her say goodbye or see him one final time. --she licked him on the face. Perhaps she knew....Dogs sense more than most people are aware of. It's a fact that they can sense death.

When we arrived at Chippewa Animal Hospital, the receptionist said that Dr. Kurka had stepped out but would return at 4pm. It was 3:15 so I sat and waited. The wait seemed like it was forever and Rusty was shaking the whole time. He always did get nervous when we went to the vet so this time was no different. When the doctor returned to the office, the receptionist called us into an examining room. After about 5 minutes or so Dr. Kurka came in and said hello to us. He took a real good hard look at Rusty. (he'd known Rusty since his birth) I asked him to weigh Rusty in an attempt to see if he had lost weight. Since our last visit which wasn't very long ago, he'd went from 5 and 1/2 lbs. to 4 and 1/4 lbs. He was very small but had never weighed below 5 lbs.

After examining Rusty, Dr. Kurka agreed that it was time and asked me if I wanted to stay with him during the euthanasia process. I said yes. There was no way I was going to leave his side now. I didn't want him to be alone during this. Even though I knew he couldn't see me or hear me I knew that he could smell and feel my presence with him. A vet assistant entered the room with clippers and shaved Rusty's front legs while I held him in my arms and while Dr. Kurka got the injection ready. As the doctor began to pierce the skin, he asked me to hold his head against my bossom to keep him still. He also said that it wouldn't take long being Rusty was so small. And with that, in 5 seconds he was at peace. He was gone.....

It happened so quickly that he couldn't have possibly felt any pain. I pray that he didn't but if he did, it was very short. As hard as it is to say this, I must say that I feel I did the right thing. Dr. Kurka reassured me that he felt the same way. He said that animals are just like people, and sometimes they can live on for many many years but the difference is that they can't really communicate with us to let us know exactly what type of pain they're experiencing, and there really is no good life for an animal who's suffering from severe pain compounded with little or no vision and deafness. That's not a good life for the pet or the owner. It also could have been much worse. With time, there was always the growing possiblility that Rusty could've had a number of painful illnesses occur, ( stroke, heartattack, seizures) and I didn't want that to happen either. It's gonna take some time but I'll be alright. I (We) all need time to heal. And we will.

Life goes on.....

I tried to find as many pictures as I could to post on here. I hope they show up well.

Take care all.