Casey – Our most wonderful Dog.
We married in 2003 and had always thought about getting a
dog. I had not been a doggy person but
Shane was. So after much deliberation we
decided to have a look around and see if we could find the right dog. We didn’t want a puppy so we looked in the
local paper for dogs to give away. That
day the only one was a Boxer Lab cross, female 18months, quiet, needs
home. We went out to have a look. I was expecting a lab looking dog….yellow/golden
in colour. So when the owner brought us
out a dog that had Foxy colouring…White with a brown head and patch on back, I
was surprised. He had been given her as
a pig dog and he explained that she was definitely NOT a pig dog as she came
out with him once….as soon as he shot the gun, she ran all the way back to the
car and was found hiding and shaking. So
he needed to find her a good home as he needed working dogs.
We fell in love with her then and there. He said he thought she had been mistreated as
she was easily startled and timid….hated plastic bags and loud noise but also
if you lifted you arms up she would cower.
There was little need for us to confer if we wanted her...Casey had
already picked us. Funny thing, she didn’t
want to get in the car. She had only
ever ridden in the trunk and so I had to get in the back seat with her. It didn’t take very long for her to get over
that phobia and she was soon the Queen of the back seat, with her head out the
window or resting on Shanes shoulder.
Casey and I on our first outing to the beach 2003
She went EVERY where with us. She slept in side by our bed, had her own
couch/chair in the lounge and adored the cat we had at the time. She never barked, never made mess’s in side………except
for her shedding…man how she was not bald I will never know!!! Talk about a hair monster. Her passion was stuffed toys………….oh she loved
to bite the eyes off and then slow de stuff them……it was a quick death for any
stuffed toy left on the ground. I loved
how she grinned at you when you came home and would do a little corkscrew jump
of excitement.
As time went on and
we were both working full time jobs we thought she might be getting lonely
during the day so we welcomed Trixie into our home. Trixie is a Foxy cross and with them having
the same colouring man people thought they were
related in some way.
We had Casey for nearly 9 years. The vet had warned us a few years earlier
that her front legs – especially her right leg, would get early arthritis due
to an injury when she must have been a puppy.
Her elbow tip had been shattered.
So often after long walks she would limp a little or be a little stiffer
for a couple of days. As the years
progressed she got heavier and started getting the typical Labrador lumps which
made it a little more awkward for her to walk too far. Not that you would really notice as she LOVED
walks and would leap around like a 2 year old…..only to suffer the next day for
it. J
Sadly we had to make the hardest decision as a pet owner……Once
we found out she was in pain from her legs, the decision was made easier in
away. Neither of us wanted her to suffer
any sort of pain or discomfort.
The house feels very empty with her around. Trixie follows Shane everywhere now and hates
to be left alone……….and I lay awake at night listening for her tinkle of the
collar …as she used to shake her head to make it tinkle as she came down to bed
each night.
RIP my most beautiful and wonderful girl…………..she was the
best dog ever.
Beautiful Casey - Nov 2011
