I would like to write a tribute to the best dog I ever had,and i betrayed him. If i could go back in the past I would take every bit of bad, and hard, and painful, if I could just undo this one mistake.
Charlie was a Blitz and Bows bb pup. He was my second labrador. I needed no leash, he obeyed every command, i could leave him sitting in front of the grocery store, do a quick shop and come back, there he would be. I wasn't worried about anyone stealing him, for he wouldn't have allowed that. We field trialed for 7 years. He didn't always place, but he always finished with a least a merit. That is a big deal considering sometimes 20 or more dogs would be entered and only 4 places plus a handful of merits were given. I could take my car keys and throw them in the nearest cornfield (i was a show off teenager) and he would bring them back. He was my protector was well. I lived alone in a small house behind a hospital. I was 17. I had received phone calls that day from someone telling me "i see you hanging up your laundry..and then proceed with what he would like to do to me" He called and said I see your car is wrecked outside..i was scared and young. I tried to call my friends but no one was at home. I turned off all the lights and called the police. Charlie was so "up" that when the police came they said with that dog I wasn't going to have any problem and left. Whoever it was did show up. I hid behind the sofa When he yelled in the door that he was here for me, Charlie attacked the door (it was a cheap panel, that shouldn't have been an outside door) ate his way through it, chased whoever down brush creek. He came back a half hour later, winded but happy. The landlord said a dog couldn't have done that and I must have taken an ax to the door. I will never know what happened, but I figure he saved my life. That was the first time, the second was when we lived in the old farm house. We were the serfs to the main house...my ex was suppose to care for the livestock. Charlie loved that farm so much. 240 acres to roam, and a fresh spring water pond to swim in anytime he wanted. He would float out their like a big ol hippo. It was hot in the farm house and I was very pregnant with my daughter. I decided i couldn't take it anymore and would take a swim in the pond. I should have paid attention to all the warnings never swim alone. I got out there and cramped so bad I was drowning for real. I hollared but no one heard me, except my dog. He pulled me out, and saved my butt again. He was my hero, my best friend, and my protector.
When I could stand my marriage no longer, and had to leave becuase of abuse, i went home to "mother". She ran a daycare in the home and wouldn't allow my big dog upstairs or out with the children, though he would have done them no harm. He had to stay in the basement room, little, and concrete and alone. I had a newborn and didn't know what would happen to us. I felt so guilty making him stay in there, tho he never complained. I had to be upstairs becuase I took care fo 4 other babies, besides my own to earn an income. That is why I decided that I needed to find a good home for my love since I could no longer provide him what he needed. I thought I was doing the right thing. He was a good hunter, and a beautiful muscled dog..now I know what i did was the worst possible thing ever.
A man (a microsurgeon) and his three sons showed up.They had a large farm with a lake. I thought Charlie deserved a good retirement, he was 8 years old and had plenty of good years left. I thought if they paid a lot of money for him they would be sure to take good care of him. They gave me 800 dollars. I didn't take the money for the money at all, it was just to make sure they understood he was a valuable animal. I told them all about him, showed them his "room" of trophys, silver goblets, silver trays and loads of ribbons. I told them the one thing they absolutely cannot do is kennel him. He was a house dog, a member of the family. That is the part my 21 one year old mind didn't hear...a member of the family!!!!!!!!!!!! It tore my heart out to see him leave, a part of me died that was never the same again..i did it out of love.
They called a year later and said that he was no good for hunting anymore and if I wanted him back I could have him. My situation was no better than a year before, it was hard starting out from scratch with a baby. When he arrived I saw that his front leg had been broken in a couple of places, unset, the points had over calified into hedgeapple sized lumps all around the leg. A shard of bone was protruding out of the shoulder and the skin had healed around it. When I tried to put him outside he woud climb the 6 foot fence using his three good legs and land on his head and chest since he couldn't catch himself, so he could no longer go out alone. He cowarded at the slightest sound. This was a dog that drooled when he heard a rifle crack. He didn't know me, his mind was gone. Never ever again will I trust anyone with a member of my family. What i did was so wrong..and it is the guilt I will carry with me to my grave and beyond. It happend a long time ago and hurts as bad today as it did then. I have told him how god awful sorry I am, but that doens't fix a thing does it. We could have toughed it out together, we could have made it work...i didn't have faith in myself or the future. I had my brother take him to the vet and put him down. I didn't even do that right.
I should have been with him, forever and always. So this is my tribute to the best dog that ever walked the earth with me, I hope he knows I didn't mean it, I wanted him to be happy, and how god awful sorry I am.
Charlie was a Blitz and Bows bb pup. He was my second labrador. I needed no leash, he obeyed every command, i could leave him sitting in front of the grocery store, do a quick shop and come back, there he would be. I wasn't worried about anyone stealing him, for he wouldn't have allowed that. We field trialed for 7 years. He didn't always place, but he always finished with a least a merit. That is a big deal considering sometimes 20 or more dogs would be entered and only 4 places plus a handful of merits were given. I could take my car keys and throw them in the nearest cornfield (i was a show off teenager) and he would bring them back. He was my protector was well. I lived alone in a small house behind a hospital. I was 17. I had received phone calls that day from someone telling me "i see you hanging up your laundry..and then proceed with what he would like to do to me" He called and said I see your car is wrecked outside..i was scared and young. I tried to call my friends but no one was at home. I turned off all the lights and called the police. Charlie was so "up" that when the police came they said with that dog I wasn't going to have any problem and left. Whoever it was did show up. I hid behind the sofa When he yelled in the door that he was here for me, Charlie attacked the door (it was a cheap panel, that shouldn't have been an outside door) ate his way through it, chased whoever down brush creek. He came back a half hour later, winded but happy. The landlord said a dog couldn't have done that and I must have taken an ax to the door. I will never know what happened, but I figure he saved my life. That was the first time, the second was when we lived in the old farm house. We were the serfs to the main house...my ex was suppose to care for the livestock. Charlie loved that farm so much. 240 acres to roam, and a fresh spring water pond to swim in anytime he wanted. He would float out their like a big ol hippo. It was hot in the farm house and I was very pregnant with my daughter. I decided i couldn't take it anymore and would take a swim in the pond. I should have paid attention to all the warnings never swim alone. I got out there and cramped so bad I was drowning for real. I hollared but no one heard me, except my dog. He pulled me out, and saved my butt again. He was my hero, my best friend, and my protector.
When I could stand my marriage no longer, and had to leave becuase of abuse, i went home to "mother". She ran a daycare in the home and wouldn't allow my big dog upstairs or out with the children, though he would have done them no harm. He had to stay in the basement room, little, and concrete and alone. I had a newborn and didn't know what would happen to us. I felt so guilty making him stay in there, tho he never complained. I had to be upstairs becuase I took care fo 4 other babies, besides my own to earn an income. That is why I decided that I needed to find a good home for my love since I could no longer provide him what he needed. I thought I was doing the right thing. He was a good hunter, and a beautiful muscled dog..now I know what i did was the worst possible thing ever.
A man (a microsurgeon) and his three sons showed up.They had a large farm with a lake. I thought Charlie deserved a good retirement, he was 8 years old and had plenty of good years left. I thought if they paid a lot of money for him they would be sure to take good care of him. They gave me 800 dollars. I didn't take the money for the money at all, it was just to make sure they understood he was a valuable animal. I told them all about him, showed them his "room" of trophys, silver goblets, silver trays and loads of ribbons. I told them the one thing they absolutely cannot do is kennel him. He was a house dog, a member of the family. That is the part my 21 one year old mind didn't hear...a member of the family!!!!!!!!!!!! It tore my heart out to see him leave, a part of me died that was never the same again..i did it out of love.
They called a year later and said that he was no good for hunting anymore and if I wanted him back I could have him. My situation was no better than a year before, it was hard starting out from scratch with a baby. When he arrived I saw that his front leg had been broken in a couple of places, unset, the points had over calified into hedgeapple sized lumps all around the leg. A shard of bone was protruding out of the shoulder and the skin had healed around it. When I tried to put him outside he woud climb the 6 foot fence using his three good legs and land on his head and chest since he couldn't catch himself, so he could no longer go out alone. He cowarded at the slightest sound. This was a dog that drooled when he heard a rifle crack. He didn't know me, his mind was gone. Never ever again will I trust anyone with a member of my family. What i did was so wrong..and it is the guilt I will carry with me to my grave and beyond. It happend a long time ago and hurts as bad today as it did then. I have told him how god awful sorry I am, but that doens't fix a thing does it. We could have toughed it out together, we could have made it work...i didn't have faith in myself or the future. I had my brother take him to the vet and put him down. I didn't even do that right.
I should have been with him, forever and always. So this is my tribute to the best dog that ever walked the earth with me, I hope he knows I didn't mean it, I wanted him to be happy, and how god awful sorry I am.