swan song for sirius

Heidi hurt her leg. Tore her ACL and the damage looks pretty bad. She is extremely fat and isn't doing the "three legged dog" trick very well. She didn't do the four legged dog trick all that well. She has spent a better part of the last week laying on her side, moving as little as possible. She eats on her side, drinks on her side and only moves to pee outside and that takes some effort. She has to basically drag herself outside, down the steps. When she's done, the process gets harder as she has to climb the steps. It's heart-breaking. Time seems to be running out for dear Heidi.

How she hurt herself no one knows but the injury is pretty serious. It's the same type of injury that ends the career of a lot of professional athletes. And those people are in great shape when they get the injury. In Heidi's case; she was pushing maximum density and no where near top form. If could have told you, she was in the best form of her life, but the last year has seen a sharp decline in her activity and spirit. Her size was only growing exponentially and it was affecting her "spunk". She had, quite literally, become a black hole. She had grown as large as a dog star can get before she collapsed in on herself. Perhaps that's the true nature of her injury - her weight had crushed her ACL. Whatever the reason; she is a decision a way from a painful last hike into the hills from which she will not return.

The doctors say that a surgery that would cost well over a grand might help a bit. It's a lot of money to slow the aging process and give Heidi even more arthritis in her already pain riddled joints. I don't know. To keep her around would be a selfish human act. There would be no mercy in keeping her around. It's an emotional gesture but not a wise one. Heidi has seen her better days and only darker ones lay ahead. Perhaps a kinder, less selfish decision needs to be made. Hard to believe that you can think that the worst thing that can happen is the best thing to do.

Of course, if you ask Heidi, I think she would tell you that she is all for the final hike. As much as she likes life, animals know when their time comes. They don't argue or fight about it. They feel the sadness, but they embrace it and go out like a hero. Thankfully, Heidi doesn't know how to read or use the internet, so I don't have to worry about her seeing this. If she did, perhaps she might have a different view of the whole issue. I'm sure she's ready for a surgery and a few more food ladden months of life. Rarely has she shown true animal behavior in anything she's done in life. Even her food consumtion is more human. I'm sure that if she read this she might be a little pissed with me. I'm not sure anyone has told her what powers are working against her at the moment. Would she growl at me when I brought her food if she knew what is in play in regards to her future?

It's the end of Heidi's professional dog-athlete career. She goes out as the record holder in longest owned pet in family history. Longest owned dog. Fattest dog. Fattest animal. Quietest dog. Quietest animal. Least photogenic dog. Least photogenic animal. And the six time winner of the "Miss congeniality of the year" award for our family. I think she can hang up her skates with a harmonious heart.

The day it happens, don't expect much from me. My own personal attachment to this great dog is well documented on the pages of this blog. She has been an ever faithful companion for years and her decline does not set well with me. With my present move to the big city, perhaps this is best. Just one less thing.

For those of you that don't remember- George Graham Vest, Senator from Missouri, gave a speech called, "Man's best friend" and it's where we get the phrase. He gave the speech in a court battle. One man had killed another man's dog and the man sued. This speech has torn hearts out ever since. I suggest you Google it.