Thursday, August 3, 2017

The Story Continues, but in a New Chapter...

The loss of Roxy hit us all pretty hard. She left a huge void in our lives. After a week of returning to an empty home after work, or sitting eating, or watching TV without the ever present Roxy, we realised that she'd enriched our lives so much that life without a companion wasn't an option.

We'd already decided that we'd have another dog at some point. There are so many in need of rescue that meant the hole in our lives could be filled by supporting a life that needed us as much as we needed them.

The wife was searching for this very blog, using Google to look for Roxy the Rottweiler when a rottweiler in need of rescue popped up in the results.

She arranged to go see her one afternoon and we both took some time off work to go drive an hour and a half to go visit the Primchurch boarding kennels to see her. She was abandoned and not without some medical issues. It looked like the previous owners took the opportunity to abandon her when they moved house to save paying the medical bills to treat a bleeding lump she had on her back.

Primchurch organised the treatment and paid the vet bills to have the lump removed. It was reportedly a non-cancerous growth that bled just because she caught it on something.

Despite the Frankenstein looking scar and stitches on her back she stood out as the dog with the right temperament, basic training and age that was attractive to us. The only thing in our way was that there was another interested party that had shown up previously.

We never realised that in this country Rottweilers in need of rescue are pretty much guaranteed a home! They are in demand and as soon as one arrives in a rescue shelter they usually have only a few weeks to wait before they are allocated a new home. Sadly that applies only to those that have a suitable temperament and haven't suffered some torment to warp their otherwise gentle nature.

Of course the search my wife was doing meant that not only was it a Rottweiler in need of rescue, but also that her name is "Roxy".

On the day of the visit Primchurch notified us that they'd accepted us as adoptive parents and that they would bring her to our home, subject to a home check and the all clear from their vet in regard to the stitches that she'd be living with us. I can't begin to say how that made me feel. I loved Roxy and this after meeting this new Roxy I was amazed at how similar they are in looks and behaviour. I swear that most people that met Roxy would not have realised it was a different dog and would have thought she'd just have regrown her tail.

Primchurch delivered her to us on my birthday and straight away you could see she was a perfect fit for us. It's all still very new and early days, but I think "Roxy too" would have "Roxy's" approval. If it weren't for the fact she's about 3 years old you could almost swear she's a reincarnation they are so similar.

So Roxy will never be forgotten. She turned me into a big softy without me realising it. Roxy's story never really ended, we're just starting a new chapter.

Roxy too

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Today is a Sad Day


We had to say goodbye to Roxy today. I feel totally crushed, she was my best friend and the most affectionate friend you could ever wish for.

She passed peacefully at home laying out in the sunshine this afternoon and without any indication there was anything wrong. In a way I'm glad that she went on her own terms and left me without having to make that tough decision many dog owners must.

Roxy would have been 12 this September, which is a pretty good age for a Rottweiler, especially so given her epilepsy. Right now that's of little comfort as losing such a devoted companion is hard to bear regardless of age.

We all said our farewells, the kids, now grown from teenagers to adults in the 10 years shes been with us and the wife are all as devastated by the loss as I am.

It seems strange writing this entry without doing so in Roxy's words.

So long my beautiful friend. You reside in our hearts and minds forever.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

We don't update this very often these days

And that's mostly good news.

I still have the regular seizures. Sometimes weeks, sometimes months apart and still unpredictable. But we all just deal with it these days. It's hard to watch and not very pleasant I'm sure. But when it happens I'm not really there at all. It's not until afterwards when I notice it takes it's toll. I'm not getting any younger and the strain it puts on my muscles means it's a bit harder to bounce back. None the less, that's what I do.

This week the cluster is 3 days old, which is unusual. We don't tend to go through it for so long. But just to frustrate dad they only come out at night, just so he can't sleep.

The vet reckons at 11 years old and ten of those with seizures I'm doing pretty well for my age. I can't walk as far, I still get so excited about going out, but not for long. Dad's new car is too high for me to get into unaided. I don't like being picked up, but if it means going in the car I'm game.

In summer last year dad's brothers family bought a dog. They live next door and it's a big bouncy Rhodesian Ridgeback. Great temperament, very friendly, but way to sociable for me. The big ginger thing always wants to play and bounce around and that's never been something I've been a fan of. Mostly I ignore it and hope it goes away. I'm a people dog and not really into dogs at all.

They start out small...


But not for very long.