Duke

I woke up this morning thinking about a dog I used to have. How he came to me and how he left. Duke was the first dog I ever got for myself. I was not in a good place and needed someone else to worry about I found an ad in the paper for lab puppies. I wanted black but all they had were yellow, so I got a yellow one. ;-) There were only 2 left when I got there, one flopped down at my feet and never moved and one was into everything he could find. Can you guess which one I took home? Yep, the trouble maker. ;-) I had a closeness with Duke, I've never had with any of the many other dogs in my life. He truly was my dog and merely tolerated the rest of the world. I took him to Puppy Kindergarten and Canine Good Citizen classes, he did very well as long as I stayed with him. For seven years, he was my buddy. Then I noticed a lump on his back leg. The vet took x-rays and told me it was bone cancer. It had never occurred to me that a dog could get cancer. Not until that moment. I was advised to put him down then and there, that the cancer had spread to his organs and he would only last a month or so. I didn't take that advice, because Duke was still acting like himself. Other than limping and having some problems with the back stairs. I took him home along meds to keep him comfortable. He started sleeping in my room after that. On the bed at first then at the foot when he couldn't jump up anymore. I would hear the jingle of his tags in the night and know that he was there. The vet was wrong, Duke stayed with me for 6 months after his diagnosis. He last for 2 weeks after my birthday. I've always believed he held on past my birthday on purpose. As if he wanted me to have that at least. Duke's ashes sit on a hidden shelf in my room. Because it freaked my brother out when I kept them my basement room that he used too. ;)