“Oh God, my master,
Should I gain the grace
To see thee face to face
when life is ended,
grant that a little dog who once pretended
that I was God,
might see me face to face.”
- Francis Jammes
We said goodbye to our sweet, special girl this afternoon. Splash, also affectionately known as Lamb Chop and Princess, was truly a gem.
Miss Splash was dropped off by her owners at TLAC to be euthanized just over a year ago at the age of fifteen. TLAC contacted Gold Ribbon Rescue (GRR) to see if they wanted an old girl who was in bad physical shape but had enough enthusiasm to get up for a treat from the shelter vet and GRR said yes, we’ll take her. Splash’s first foster parents John & Liz drove down from Georgetown and rescued the lucky girl. Splash was covered in matts and burrs, her nails were so long they curled under her paws, her hind legs were severely atrophied, and her ears and mouth gave off an odor that revealed the lack of care she had received in the past. John & Liz spent hours that afternoon clipping her matts, brushing her, and giving her an overall clean up. Splash enjoyed her stay at the Georgetown spa and rehab center, aka John & Liz’s, and a couple of weeks later she came to live with Sam, Rusty and me permanently. This Sunday, 23 July, would have been her one year anniversary with us.
What a year this has been. We watched her flourish under a good diet of quality food and supplements, daily brushings, daily walks and visits to the park, and the occasional trip to the lake. She made friends everywhere she went and has a huge fan club in our neighborhood, at our park, and within GRR. Initially Rusty didn’t take too kindly to sharing us or his home with her but he learned that we could all share each other and life was good. In fact within a couple of months of Splash’s arrival he started to give her kisses, invited her to sleep in the bedroom with all of us, and would often lay next to her resting his paws on her. A couple of nights ago I watched with damp eyes as they lay with their faces about a foot apart gazing at each other. She’s been a good teacher to him.
We heard Splash bark only twice in the last year. The first time was when I had come home from work and she was asleep so I didn’t disturb her. Sam and I was were talking in the kitchen and she roused, silently walked up behind me and when I didn’t turn to greet her she gave me a loud “Ruff” and I turned around to find my sweet girl smiling up at me. That smile. The second bark was when Rusty got too close to her favorite treat, a sterilized bone filled with cream cheese. She gave him a quick warning that the treat he was eyeing was indeed hers and he was not welcome to it. Rusty conceded and quickly retreated.
She learned some of Rusty’s tricks for playing. One evening while in the backyard she was laying back in the grass while Rusty and I played tug with one of his toys. This must have intrigued her as she got up bringing her donut shaped toy to me and I tried to take it from her so I could toss it back but she wouldn’t let go. She clenched her teeth down and played a gentle game of tug with me. She also picked up Rusty’s habit of finding a ball or toy and dropping it on a chair or table which signals it’s time to play. An old dog can certainly learn new tricks, and with enthusiasm!
The first time we took her to the lake was a lovely surprise. As with most rescues you have no idea of their history: have they ever been in the water or have they ever been in public places? A few months after she arrived we took Miss Splash to Red Bud Island for the first time and she practically knocked big boy Rusty out of the way to rush into the water. She swam out a short distance, swimming in a big circle, and came back to shore to give us a look that said “Why haven’t you brought me here sooner?” On subsequent trips to the lake we brought a toy for her that she had no interest in playing with but she proudly swam around with it in her mouth. Miss Splash truly lived up to her name.
She loved to visit our neighborhood’s “secret” dog park. Just last week we took her out into the front yard for our last bathroom break of the evening about 10:30pm and she walked directly to the back of my SUV and looked up at the door. We couldn’t resist her so we locked up the house, loaded her up and went to the park for a late night romp. She would walk around sniffing all of the trees and bushes checking out the scents left behind by other dogs, squirrels, field mice, and other animals. There were many times she would enthusiastically trot for several yards before stopping for a rest. She made friends with everyone at the park and people we’d never met knew who Splash was. She was truly adored.
She enjoyed the various treats we gave her. She loved green beans, apple slices, strawberries, peas, brussels sprouts, steamed carrots with grated ginger, rotisserie chicken, grilled fish, grilled steak, steamed rice (jasmine and basmati), string cheese, plain yogurt, a sterilized bone filled with cream cheese, and an occasional scoop of vanilla ice cream. This week she had a scoop of ice cream almost every night.
As she became less steady on her feet she refused to walk on the wood and tile floors without rugs along her path. If there were more than a few inches between the end of one rug and the edge of the next rug she would stop, survey the step and then she would motor on.
Although her body began to betray her we know that she could remember how things used to be. Whenever we picked her up to place her in the back of my small SUV for a trip she would kick her legs as if she were jumping up on her own. Her eyes were slightly clouded over so her vision was compromised. When she would bring us a tennis ball or toy to play with we’d toss it to her and she’d move her head to catch it but her eyes couldn’t always follow the toy. We learned to make the movement of tossing the toy and then we put the toy a couple of inches from her mouth so she could “catch” it.
She just wanted our love and attention. Sometimes while reading we’d be surprised to find her sweet white face appear under our book nudging it out of her way for a pet. She wasn’t shy about pawing you to let you know that she wasn’t done being petted or massaged.
She was a good teacher to all of us: she never gave up when everything she knew was gone and she trusted us and loved us as if she’d spent her entire life with us. She always tried to please us and she taught us that the simplest things were all she needed to be happy. We loved her dearly and we are going to miss her terribly.
What a beautiful girl! 
Rusty is patiently waiting for his ball to be tossed to him.
