Rest in Peace, Rusty

Today we lost our dear friend, Rusty.  He was 15 and a half years old.  I rescued Rusty when he was 12 from Dachshund Rescue of North America.

This was the quintessential companion--trusty, tried, and true.  He would never hurt a fly and was ready for anything--especially a meal!! He loved Zoe, sat under her swing and minded her when she was the tiniest little person, fresh from the hospital.  He was deaf, but could sense when she would cry and would go to her.  Lately she has been quite fascinated by the dogs and Rusty returned the interest.  We were sickened by his licking her mouth, but he was a dear and just wanted to love on her.

Jod took Rusty and Charlie out this morning and things seemed normal.  He fed them, Rusty galloped back into bed.  A few hours later J took them out again and Rust came in with his normal vigor.  Jod took Zoe into the living room while I cat-napped, and when he came back in to wake me up he found Rusty peacefully asleep and no longer breathing.

We're very sad and feel a large void.  Charlotte loved on Rusty before my dad buried him in the backyard under our favorite oak tree.  We figure this is a good spot since the bird feeder is directly above and will shower him with birdseed--a delightful treat Rusty sought out whenever possible.  Dad planted coleus and placed some pavers around his little grave. We decided to bury Remi's little box of ashes with him.

We are lucky to have so much support from our family and friends.  Riverwalk Animal Hospital was no exception.  Our dear friend and veterinarian, Dr. Amy Czarnecki, talked us through the tough moments and prepared a plaster plaque for us to imprint Rusty's paw.

We decided Charlotte shouldn't be alone today.  We all went to the baseball game and wore Charlotte out.  She shared lots of peanuts and snuggles with us.  She's currently tucked under a fleece blanket snoring her little head off.  We'll see how she does tomorrow.  She and Rooter were best friends and were usually found velcroed to one another.

Zoe keeps us smiling, though.  Her infectious giggle seems to make things feel less sad.  We're so appreciative of what we have in this life.  And we realize that we should take nothing for granted.  I can't believe our sweet friend is gone.

Rest in Peace, Rusty.  We love you.