"Sam" went to Heaven tonight

Post by **thechamp** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:02 pm

Our old Border Collie "Sam" has been having a hard time getting around this year. He was 13 and was always very active. Overall he led a very healthy life without ever really getting sick. He was a clown and would do the silliest things to where you would at times thing he was the dumbest dog alive. We finally figured out that he did silly things but he also knew what he was doing. He ruled the yard so to speak. Sam was 50# give or take a few most of his life. 'Molly', a Rottweiler cross is around 120#. Yet in most situations things went the way Sam wanted them to go.

Recently he had what was termed to be a type of a stroke. The vet said some material probably came loose from his arthritic hips and moved into the spinal column causing the same results as a stroke would have. We carried him in and out of house to his yard and back and with the help of some steroids he regained the use of his legs. He could get up and walk some but would be worn out in short order. Last night when we fed the dogs I had to help him get up on the various concrete porches and eventually lift him into the house. He walked to his kennel and went in and went to bed. Katie (my GF) said that this morning he had walked out on his own and looked pretty good. I saw him several times during the day and usually would treat him and Molly to an afternoon snack. Didn't get to it today but did see him walking about a few times.

Well this evening when Katie came home from work she headed straight to the dog yard and found him passing. He was breathing very heavily and his eyes were already not moving. We talked to him and petted and gently stroked him as he passed on. When we knew he was going down we dreaded possibly having him put down because we didn't want to see him suffer but at the same time we were going to have a very difficult time following through with something like that. We asked then that hopefully when the time came he would peacefully pass on and from what we saw that is what happened. For that we're thankful. We'll miss Sam immensely as will Molly and the kitty cats. Several of the cats thought the world of him and would love on him when he'd come in for the night. He led a relatively long life and a healthy life and for those things we can be thankful. Everybody's time comes and not much you can do when the clock runs out.

Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:26 am

Sorry to hear that Champ, animals certainly have a way of making it into our hearts and the time they spend with us is often all to brief

Post by **Dom** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:50 am

Sorry champ, can really get attached to them and hard to see them go, very hard.

Post by **Pigeon** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:55 am

Sorry to hear. Keep him in good memories - for sure he was more then a friend...

Post by **Corjack** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 6:13 am

Sorry, I know the effort you guys put into keeping him going. A lot of people would not have went to the trouble. Shows what kind of people you are.

Post by **blaserguy** » Wed Mar 23, 2011 6:16 am

Sorry for your loss
They are truly mans best friend

retrieverman · Post by **retrieverman** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 9:06 pm

Robert

I just saw your thread and am so sorry to hear the news.

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