Young Family Tragedy

[hoglaw]

I married my wife in May of this year. We are both young lawyers in Fayetteville, and met in law school. We cheated a little, and moved in together during our third year of law school. By the time we graduated, we were pretty certain we were going to stay together, and we bought a house together (the offer was contingent on both of us passing the Arkansas bar exam, which fortunately we did). We couldn't wait to get a spot out of town in order to get dogs as soon as possible.

We have two dogs, Sam and Lucy. They are both pound dogs, and we've had them since they were puppies. I thought Sam was going to be a pure bred lab. He looked like one and acted like every lab puppy I ever had growing up. He still looks like a pure bred lab, he just stopped growing at 35lbs. I wanted a big dog, ergo Lucy. My wife picked her up from the Eureka Springs Animal Shelter. We thought she was going to be a German Shepard....she isn't. She grew up to be a black and tan Beagle mix, also 35lbs. Lucy was pretty much the pound mascot. When my wife went up there to look, they had her out of the kennels and roaming around the front office. She had free reign over everything. That should have been sign number one.

Lucy has continued to lead a charmed life. She is a princess. She is useless in every since of the word. She is allowed on all the furniture, and pretty much gets away with anything. She ate two of my wallets. She likes wet dog food, but really enjoys large denominations of cash. Sam and Lucy are an inseparable pair. Sam likes to canoe and chase after my wife on her runs or bike rides. Lucy likes to watch football with me.

Last night, my wife came home from the gym around 8:30. As usual, Sam and Lucy ran in front of her car as fast as they could, only do dodge it at the last minute. Lucy must have slipped on the wet ground as my wife ran her over with the back tire. A trip to the dog ER and a bunch of money later, they told me her pelvis was broken in five places and that the fractured illium was going to impair her bowel functions. Surgery was the only option. There is only one person in Arkansas (Russelville to be exact) that does this surgery. He quoted me $4500. We had all but decided to put her down. Do I have the cash? No. Can I raise it or borrow it...yes. But how much is a pound dog really worth?

I spent the day trying to figure out what else I could do. I talked with a vet-relative in San Diego, I called the U of M and OSU teaching hospitals, and I finally found a guy in Tulsa who can do the same surgery for half the price. My vet assured me that the guy is indeed competent, and that he referred many cases to him...he just didn't know he did this surgery. We bit the bullet and set up an appointment for Monday. Once we made the decision to commit to the expense, we both felt like we had never been happier. It's funny how much these dogs have impacted our lives. I get teary just thinking about having a Sam but no Lucy.

I'm not even sure why I'm posting this. It's been a long and emotional 24 hours. I haven't slept. Lucy is finally sleeping, heavily medicated, on her bed right next to me. She's been crying most of the night. I went through dogs like crazy when I was a kid. Strays would come and go, and losing a dog was just a part of life. Now, I have these two worthless pound dogs and they're an integral part of my young family. Makes me wonder if I could ever handle having children. I just don't know how you dads can handle the stress of a sick child or a child who's living outside of his or her value system.

Anyway, no big trips or new gadgets for me for a while. I suppose part of growing up is realizing that the money we make doesn't equate to new toys all the time. We're really excited about our decision, and Lucy is expected to make a full recovery after surgery and a new pelvis. If this dog was spoiled before, I shudder to think what her sense of entitlement is going to be like in another year or two. Even if no one reads this, its nice to have a place to vent. I'd talk to my wife, but she passed out at 8 and won't be up until her morning run. I think Lucy and I are going to sleep in

[stone9-7=2]

That's great. I think you did the rt thing. There just like kids & you wouldn't put your kid down,although sometimes we feel like it. LOL j/k....

We have pound animales also.

[zander]

If hoglaw feels he did the right thing then he did the right thing for him. I have had many dogs, but I never loved any of them anywhere near as much as I do my son, which before I had a child seemed impossible to me. Of course when they are hurt bad, it makes you hurt too, but I have never wished my dog's pain on myself like I do for my son.

[FishinCricket]

In matters such as these, follow your heart. Money comes and goes, but friendship is priceless in ANY form.

[smallmouthjoe]

In matters such as these, follow your heart. Money comes and goes, but friendship is priceless in ANY form.

Right on! Money is something you can get more of, when a friend is lost, their lost forever.

[ozark trout fisher]

In matters such as these, follow your heart. Money comes and goes, but friendship is priceless in ANY form.

Agreed.

[Danoinark]

Yes, counselor you did the right thing. If there had been no hope, no chance of making her viable then I would have said to not let her suffer. From one that has had to put down a long time friend and companion, it was probably the hardest thing I have done. My hats off to you.

Dano

[Terry Beeson]

When Cindy and I were dating, the same thing happened and I ran over the male "killer yorkie...' He suffered similar injuries, but luckily, not as bad as you describe. Today, he is very much MY LITTLE BOY and stays by my side 90% of the time. The little critters do grow on ya...