Tuesday when I driving to work I was making plans for the holidays - taking the dogs to my sister’s house on Thanksgiving because it was going to be such a nice day, taking a walk after lunch, so thankful that Tucker was going to be with me for another Thanksgiving. Thinking that he might just be with me for another Christmas and feeling so hopeful. Then I started thinking how making plans can be such folly. How things can change in the blink of an eye. Probably best not to make plans.
October 2012 I found a large tumor in his anal gland and he was given two weeks to live. Thankfully I got a second opinion, some good advice and listened to my gut and decided to go for the surgery which was a success. Hopefully he might have another 8 to 10 months. Thanks to Dr. Barbour and Yellow Springs Veterinary Clinic he had three more great years. It was nothing short of a miracle.
Tuesday night when I got home and he looked at me with those big brown eyes I just knew something was wrong. I called him in for dinner and he just laid there looking at me with his head on his paw. If you know Tucker you know the boy loves his food. Even after major surgery in 2012 he didn’t miss a meal. I finally got him inside and put his bowl in front of him and he didn’t want to eat it. All I was thinking was no Tucker, please don’t do this but looking into his eyes I just knew that today was the day. I called his best girl Jo at YSVC (Jo also heads up Free Reign Animal Massage and does massage and energy work on Tuck) and let her know that I had to come in. She let Dr. B. know and off I went with Tucker and Remy. A sonogram showed that Tucker had a large tumor on his spleen and that it was bleeding into his abdomen. Tucker was weak and anemic. With his age (15) and his history of seizures surgery wasn’t a good option and I knew that Tucker was ready to go. Tucker actually loved going to the vet. He often had treats, massages and got to see his favorite vet techs, in particular Rebekah, and I was happy that she was there that night. So Tuesday night he was perfectly calm and surrounded by people that he knew and Remy and I were both by his side until the end. I can honestly say Tuesday was the worst day of my life but I know that I did the right thing for Tucker and have no regrets as to how he lived his life.
I adopted Tucker from the Mid Atlantic Border Collie Rescue on Sept. 8, 2001. I headed up to his foster in White Hall, MD with a friend to meet him on that Saturday. When we got there, he was running around barking like a mad dog trying to chase the horses in the pasture. Adrienne said “you’re not going to take that dog are you?” and I said “yes I am”. He was 10 months old. He loved loved loved his big sister Scout who I had just adopted in July. He was smart and energetic and the epitome of a Border Collie. My neighbors said “you’re not going to keep that dog are you?” and I said “yes I am!” After lots of training, exercise and love, a year later those same people were telling me what a great dog he was. Terri Hoopengartner, you were his first trainer and I think you were pretty partial to him because he was a herding dog. He was a superstar in class. You were also there at the emergency vet when I had to bring in him after his 2012 surgery because my power was out due to Hurricane Sandy.
Tucker was bold, brave, smart, a lover, sensitive, and sometimes a total shithead and that is why I loved him. He had “the eye”. He never hurt another creature in his entire life, unlike Scout, who was a killer of all things small. Watch out mice, bunnies and baby birds. Once Tucker caught a low flying dove in his mouth and no one was more surprise the was. You should have seen the look on his face. I told him to put it down and he did and it flew away unharmed. I feel so sad for my cat Rogue. She loved Scout and they used to hunt together. When Scout passed she latched onto Tucker. There were times he found it hard to take a step in the yard because she kept head-butting him. He would lick her face and ears until she was a soggy mess. I don’t know what poor Rogue will do now. Remy just has no use for her.
My favorite Tucker memory is from December, 2003. My boyfriend at the time had a big black lab and on a really warm day before Christmas we all went over to Harper’s Ferry to hike on the tow path. Owen had to carry Tucker up and over that bridge because he was afraid of it (you can see below to the river and it is pretty scary). Owen had put flashing bicycle lights on Mike’s halter and I just thought it was the funniest thing ever. I laughed until I cried. We hiked for hours and the dogs swam and had a great time. Hours later we piled back into the car and drove home exhausted. We had to take a pit stop along the way because Tucker drinks water when he swims so I had to let him out to go potty. Then the dogs slept the rest of the way home. These memories are how I will honor Tucker - the greatest dog that God ever put on this earth.
I really couldn’t have asked for more (even though of course I want to). God gave me three extra years and Tucker was happy and healthy until those last couple of hours when he wasn’t. He was a true miracle. I will miss him more than I can say.
If anyone would like to make a donation to MABCR in Tucker’s memory you may do so at http://www.mabcr.org.
Godspeed Tuckerman and I will see you again some day. Have an awesome time over the bridge with Scout and Albus.
Carol
Carol
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