Buster Scoops Buster's Blog en-us Nucleus CMS v3.64 Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss /nucleus/nucleus2.gif Buster Scoops <![CDATA[Remembering Buster: One Year Later]]> index.php?itemid=319

Buster Brown - April 1999 - April 18, 2009



FOUR FEET

I have done mostly what men do,
And pushed it out of my mind;
But I can't forget, if I wanted to,
Four-Feet trotting behind.
Day after day, the whole day through--
Wherever my road inclined--
Four-Feet said, 'I am coming with you!'
And trotted along behind.
Now I must go by some other round--
Which I shall never find--
Some where that does not carry the sound
Of Four-Feet trotting behind.

--- Rudyard Kipling ---

Buster,

Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again.
(Anonymous).

Miss you "butter",
your mom.




]]> General index.php?itemid=319 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:39:41 -1200 <![CDATA[Buster Brown - April 1999 - April 2009]]> index.php?itemid=313 I understood that he really couldn't jump because of the pain. He made it a point to try one last time for me. With encouragement, he made it up, but he was shaking so badly. I made an appointment to take him to the vet.

In the afternoon, the vet showed me the xrays; the tumors were now pushing down on his colon, embedded around his spine and her only words were to take one day at a time. She gave me another kind of pain pill. Buster's ride home was painful, I could tell. I carried him in the house, gave him his pill and he went to his favorite safe spot, under my bed. He stayed there, only getting up once to go to the bathroom.

I left him to rest hoping the pain pill would work, but it didn't. I lay down on the floor and looked at him under the bed. He was shifting around a lot in pain, so I decided to do the one thing I could do - pray. I lay next to him and prayed for a sign - either to heal him quickly or take him quickly... or help me make whatever decision I needed to make. Within 2 minutes of my prayers, my dog that had been laying there, unable to leave his spot for hours, refusing to come out even to go to the bathroom, suddenly stuck his head out on the other side of the bed. I walked over, put on his collar and leash and led him outside. It was a really slow walk, a painful one for him. After he peed, he slowly walked over to my car and stood there. I tried turning him around. He resisted a little, but I knew what he meant. He wanted me to take him somewhere, anywhere where it didn't hurt. I took him back inside and asked him, "Buddy, is it time?" It is true that when you know, you know. He told me. I knew.

By the time I got him to the emergency vet at nearly 1 AM, he couldn't stop shaking. We talked to him a lot, pet him a lot... got a few lockets of his hair, lay down with him for a long time and said our goodbyes. I told him something that a dear friend of mine told her pet, which I never forgot: "Walk towards the light, don't turn around, don't try to come back...and wait for me there." When the time came, his little head relaxed into my hands and he went to sleep. It was a peaceful death, a humane death.

I did everything I could, I know this. Though these last couple of days were sudden (just last week he initiated play with Athena and was acting on top of the world), I know that Buster's close call in December was a sign to me to cherish each day - and we both did - every day, every minute we spent together. He gave me that gift of these last few months. He fought a hard as he could and I had to do one last thing for him, which was to give him his freedom.

Anyone who bonds with their pets know that letting go of Buster last night brought about disbelief, sadness and grief. And you know too that there is more to come of that, especially with the day in and day out. But I have no regrets. For all the times that I heard from others, "he's just a dog" or even felt that they were thinking that, I would put more effort into making him comfortable and happy. I always knew without a doubt - and now that he's gone, I know even more - he was not "just a dog". That little spirit was my best bud, my ten year companion and one of my greatest teachers. I'm so grateful for him and always will be. Buster was a great dog and greater spirit.

Thank you to all of you who have stood by me and Athena. Buster is at peace now. He is finally Buster Unleashed... http://www.buster-unleashed.com.

thanks,
Juliette

Other links:
http://www.dogster.com/dogs/74325
http://rainbowsbridge.com/residents/BUSTE153/Resident.htm


]]> General index.php?itemid=313 Sat, 18 Apr 2009 05:16:11 -1200 <![CDATA[At the vet]]> index.php?itemid=311 General index.php?itemid=311 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:33:31 -1200 <![CDATA[Shaky]]> index.php?itemid=309 Not-So-Good Days index.php?itemid=309 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:33:30 -1200 <![CDATA[Painful Thursday]]> index.php?itemid=307 General index.php?itemid=307 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:41:22 -1200 <![CDATA[Small changes]]> index.php?itemid=305
J's niece is coming on Wednesday. I can't wait to see her! I hope I'm better by then.]]> Not-So-Good Days index.php?itemid=305 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:07:19 -1200 <![CDATA[i'm regressing ... in a good way]]> index.php?itemid=303




]]> Good Days index.php?itemid=303 Wed, 8 Apr 2009 13:41:09 -1200 <![CDATA[overdid it again]]> index.php?itemid=301


now I'm not feeling so good...J is giving me fluids as normal but I'm having a hard time eating as much and I'm sleeping more than usual. Maybe this cold snap will give me the couple of days rest I need. But hey, I had a blast! Have you seen me this happy lately?

]]> Not-So-Good Days index.php?itemid=301 Mon, 6 Apr 2009 17:42:42 -1200 <![CDATA[Fluids are key]]> index.php?itemid=297 Good Days index.php?itemid=297 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:07:11 -1200 <![CDATA[i am not a dog]]> index.php?itemid=295
what i do know is that i'll eat just about anything now, which is strange because i was so picky before. i also try to eat athena's food. that's the latest thing. athena, who has been the pig of the pack has now started walking away, leaving a few bits in her bowl and i'll dash on over and consume what i can. i get treats all the time. i get fed rice and soup by my grandma and look at me! just enjoying this good streak and enjoying my piggy status!



]]> Good Days index.php?itemid=295 Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:15:15 -1200