Goodbye Duke

Jason and Rebeca just had to go through the gut-wrenching process of deciding that it was time to put their dog, Duke, down.  Duke had been declining for many months, but it was just in these last few weeks that he had gotten a whole lot worse.  In the past few days, it became very obvious that Duke was suffering as he had quit eating and drinking.  Yesterday, on November 24th, they said goodbye to Duke.

Jason and Duke became buddies almost 17 years ago.  They spent many many happy years together chasing balls, going for drives, taking walks, loving each other's company.

What I will always remember about Duke:

It was the year 2001, and we were helping Rebeca move out of her apartment in Nacogdoches, Texas.  It was a hot summer day and between lugging items to the trailer and cleaning in the apartment, I sat down on the floor for a few minutes to take a much-needed break.  I had my legs pulled up, with my arms on my knees and my head resting on my arms.  Next thing I knew, I felt a nose on my arms and it was Duke.  He had come up to me, placed his nose on my arms and he just stood there like that.  It was like he was worried about me and what I was doing sitting there on the floor.   I will never forget how heart-warming that was to know that Duke was concerned and wanted to somehow comfort me.

The speed at which he would go after the balls that Jason would throw always impressed me.

One time, at Rebeca's apartment in Tucson, Arizona, I was there alone with Duke and Clover (Rebeca's dog) for some reason.  A service guy came and went around the back to check on something, I can't remember what that was all about.  Anyway, when Duke realized there was someone in the backyard, he went nuts and his bark absolutely terrified me.  I had never heard a fiercer bark in all my life.

Whenever Jason and Rebeca would drive away from our house after visiting us in San Antonio, Jason would have the window to the car open.  Then as they drove off, Jason would say "Cattles" and that would make Duke go into loud barking mode.  So, it was always funny to us how they would drive off down the street with Duke'ss head out the window, barking - almost as if he was barking, "Goodbye" to us.

Farewell,Duke - you were a special dog.