Animal And Company: Re: [boxer lovers] My beloved General Rommell (long story)

Maybe he was just saying goodbye in his way. I think animals understand death better then we do. and accept it. Maybe he was tired and ready to go.

Nana

Literature is my utopia,

From: Devon J <devonevalena@gmail.com>
To: boxerlovers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2014 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: [boxer lovers] My beloved General Rommell (long story)

I wish I understood the last look he gave us.
After we petted and loved on him as he lay on the vet floor, he looked at my daughter, directly in her eyes, then me, same thing, even longer. Then he didn't give us any kind of attention again. He was so weak, having such a hard time breathing, there wasn't much of his spirit left.
But of course under the circumstances, I've spent all day thinking he was trying to tell us not to put him to sleep.
I hate how guilt can make this so much harder cause right after he died, I felt a lightness as though he was finally free from the pain.

Then we went to my daughter's house and it was so lonely without him. Then I came home and thought (and cried) about him all dayand pondered All the wonders from the eleven years we had him.

Then I started thinking about that look.

On Jan 27, 2014 8:00 PM, "Nana Charlton" <ncharl7704@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

I am so sorry for your loss. I see my 3 seniors, especially Bella the oldest beginning to fail a little and it already hurts.

Nana

Literature is my utopia,

From: "devonevalena@gmail.com" <devonevalena@gmail.com>
To: boxerlovers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2014 4:08 PM
Subject: [boxer lovers] My beloved General Rommell (long story)

In the summer of 2003, I went to a backyard breeder to buy a boxer. My daughter Veronica went with me. She picked out a white boxer that was running around happily pushing all the other puppies around. "That's the one you want," she said. So I bought him, and as I was driving away, I kept thinking about the other white boxer we left behind. I was more drawn to him, so I turned around, went back and bought him also. We named them General Rommell and General Patton. Patton had a brown ear, Rommell a brown eye. From the beginning Rommell was the alpha, good naturally pushing Patton around. Patton was very laid back, not at all concerned about being the beta. He had a whole load of self-confidence packed in his beautiful, almost perfect confirmation. Rommell was a little rougher, a little tougher. Their first home was in Taylor Texas at my son's house on 10 acres. They loved to run and protect our home. Killing anything that dared come close, which included a fight with a black diamond rattlesnake. Patton, the ever curious, and not so fast one, took a bite right on his beautiful face. My daughter left beauty school in Austin to go pick up the very expensive anti-venom and rush it to the Taylor vet who dripped it into Patton's leg. He warned me that is rare for a dog to survive a bite like that, even with the anti-venom. And we began the watching game. Patton's lip turned black and part of it dissolved away. His face and throat swelled up so much, I feared he would not be able to breathe. I spent my days holding ice to his face, giving him pain meds, antibiotics and warning him what I would do to him if he left me. In two weeks he was back to normal, although his face was never quite as beautiful again. Patton and Rommell played and lived together until Feb 2010 when I put Patton to sleep because of cancer. When Patton died, Rommell changed. He lost his spirit, he lost his soul. I couldn't get him to eat. He spent all his time looking out the window for his brother. For the next three months, he and I went for many car rides, him with his face out the window, still looking. Me trying to drive through the tears as I also had a silly hope I would find him running down the road cause even though i was there when he was put to sleep, I couldn't accept he was really gone. Rommell lost more and more weight. I put him in daycare, hoping the companionship with other dogs would help him. But he attacked a great dane and was kicked out. So it was he and I again, in my small, now horribly dismal and lonely house. In desperation I called my daughter and asked her if she would take Rommell. She had kept him for me during the last two years while I worked out of town. (I only saw him on the weekends) She had a little dog he had played with and I thought he would be happier. So I left him there and went back to my now even sadder home where I worked one and a half hours away. When I went home that weekend, Rommell had gained weight, was playing outside and looked fantastic. So I officially gave him to my daughter. Two years later, I moved back and into an apartment three doors down from my daughter. Rommell came to see me everyday. I think he wanted to come back and be with me again, but my daughter had grown to love him tremendously and I had acquired two more boxers, so he didn't get to move back with me, but we saw each other often. In the last few months and much worse the last week, I've watched him go downhill. Last week we took him to the vet again and was told there wasn't anything to do, that he was older than most boxers lived already. We left thinking he had more time though because his eyes were bright, his spirit was good. Then I went over today and he has lost so much weight. My daughter says he is not eating now, he just lies on the floor with heart beating very fast and breathing hard. We both know the time has come. We think he has probably been in pain for a long time. We don't want him to suffer. But it is hard to make the decision. His eyes are bright. But he hardly moves. His spine and ribs are sticking out. He walks to go outside but is very weak. My daughter decided to put him down Monday. My heart is breaking. I have two new boxers, and they are wonderful. But they are not Rommell and Patton who were exceptional, amazing dogs. They were just a very tiny bit south of perfect. I never knew how hard it was to lose something so wonderful. It just about killed me when Patton died, and how I have to go through it again with his brother. I think it is a once in a lifetime event to have the privilege of owning such incredible dogs. So this story is my heart professing to the world how grateful I am for having them in my life. I grateful I am I had the pleasure of watching them run like the wind, jump like they were on trampolines, smile like they were the happiest dogs on the planet, love with all their spirits, protect our house and home with fierceness and yet play on the floor with my 6 month old grandson, (who thought he was part of their dog pack). To my beloved General Patton and General Rommell, go play in green pastures in your now young and glorious bodies and meet me at rainbow bridge when I come for you. I love your purity, honesty, loyalty, faithfulness, obedience, and most especially, your gentle, brave spirits that shine like the sun. God take care of them for me. They are special. Very, very special.