Duncan

Duncan

Today would have been Duncan’s 16th birthday. When I adopted him in 2016, I asked him to give me eight years. He gave me eight years and two months.

Duncan passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on May 26th. He collapsed and was gone in minutes. I was not prepared.

The very first picture I took of Duncan, on the night I brought him home

He had seen the vet a month before. She raved about what good shape he was in for his age (15 1/2). I expected to have a few years left with him, not a few weeks.

Duncan was not a dog that demanded a lot. He never demanded anything. All he wanted to was to sit in a soft place and have a clear view of me. He was gentle and quiet. An introvert to the core.

He was never interested in toys or play. Walks were tolerated, but he would have happily lived without them. He loved snow. He played in autumn leaves. He loved storms and would watch them through the window in fascination. He would never snuggle with me unless I was asleep.

The last picture I ever took of Duncan, on the day before he died

One of the things I loved most about him were his wonky ears. His ears were not symmetrical on his head, nor were they the same size and shape. They drove groomers nuts. As he got older, he had a tendency to keep one ear down and one ear up—even when he was sleeping.

Not that he could hear anything with that upright ear. Duncan was deaf for the last years of his life. Even when he could hear, he was not any kind of guard dog. The only time he ever barked was in his sleep. Awake, he just watched the world move around him.

He was the sweetest old man dog I ever had, and I miss him daily.



If you would like to do something in Duncan’s honor, please consider a donation to Young at Heart Senior Pet Adoptions or a rescue in your community.

Poodle Promises

I met a 22-year old poodle this week, and he gave me hope.

Let me explain.

Small white poodle sitting on a sofa with 6 plastic squeaky balls at his feet

Benji

<—This is Benji. He was the first dog that was only mine. I adopted him when he was 6 months old, after he’d been abandoned and passed around so much that he became permanently scarred for life. I promised I would never abandon him, and I didn’t. After years of illness, he crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 16 1/2. I was heartbroken.

Six months after I lost Benji, I adopted Duncan. In some ways, Duncan has turned out to be more my soul dog than Benji ever was. Like me, he’s an introvert, an observer. He too was abandoned, found in an open field during a polar vortex winter. I adopted him a couple of months later, and I made him the same promise I made Benji: I will never abandon you. At the time, Duncan was almost completely shut down. It’s taken time, but finally, in the last few years, he’s started to show his personality. It turns out, he’s a funny little man.

When I adopted Duncan, I was still grieving Benji. Duncan was 7 1/2 when I got him, and I knew I would have fewer years with him than I had with Benji. So I asked Duncan to make me a promise: stay with me for 8 years.

Duncan

It’s a promise he seems to be keeping. Duncan is now 14. He’s in perfect health; the vet said he’s the healthiest 14-year-old she’s ever seen. In the back of my mind, though, I’ve known we’re approaching that eight year mark, that my time with him is likely winding down.

Enter Cooper, the 22-year-old poodle.

There’s no question Cooper is an old man. In fact, he’s the oldest living poodle I’ve ever met. He has clearly been loved and cared for, like Duncan is. And it hit me: if Cooper can live to be 22, so can Duncan.

So I came home after meeting Cooper the Elder and asked Duncan for a new promise: stay with me until you’re 22.

So far, he hasn’t said no.

We Survived!

Thank goodness we all have bubble coats. Here’s Duncan in his.

Thank goodness we all have bubble coats. Here’s Duncan in his.

Polar Vortex 2019 has come and gone, and all I can say is “Good riddance!” I never want to be someplace colder than Antarctica (or Mars!) ever again. It was a very long two days.

But I am happy to report:

  • we bundled up and hunkered down.

  • my furnace worked like a champ.

  • my walls are much better insulated than at my last place.

  • we never lost power.

  • two small dogs on a queen-size bed generate a whole lot of body heat.

Penny spent much of Day 2 turtled inside her coat.

Penny spent much of Day 2 turtled inside her coat.

Except for cabin fever and world-record potty times for the dogs, both days went by pretty much like normal.

Today, we were all itching to get out for a walk, but with temps in the teens, we didn’t get farther than the end of the driveway. But even that felt good after the deep freeze.

Mutt Mosey 2017

Thank you, everyone who donated to our Mutt Mosey campaign! We raised $400. The event raised more than $35,000 total--enough for Young at Heart to save 35 senior pets.

Special thanks to Pam for walking with us and hanging out with us at the event. We had a lot of fun!  Duncan did surprisingly well. He wasn't intimidated by the other dogs (except for the German shepherd puppy who mistook him for a rabbit.) And we didn't finish last!

Here's Duncan before, during, and after the Mosey:

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