Seamus: a eulogy

Have you ever had those moments when you knew your life was just going to get better? This happened to me. It was when the Miami Pit Crew dropped off Seamus to us after they fostered him until he was 12 weeks old. 

Seamus was rescued from a cardboard box with the rest of his litter of 6. Ken and Coleman saved him. They saved me really. Back in fall of 2012 when they found him, I was in probably my darkest depression. I was broke, unemployment was running out, my spirit almost broken. I haven't publicly admitted this, but as I went back today and read some of my journal entries from those days, I'm surprised to tell you I am still alive. 

Funny thing happened as soon as Seamus came home. Everything started to change. My mood, my outlook on life. Everything. Changed. 

I would sit on the couch, laptop in my lap, and Seamus would be sleeping next to me. There he would stay until I put down the computer. When I was unemployed I was a professional job applier. Seamus and Freckles would keep me company. Seamus on the couch next to me, Freckles under my feet. 

Seamus didn't just love me with every ounce of his being. He loved the whole family. He would serve as a pillow for the kids should they need a soft place to lay their head. He would fall asleep with them, all probably dreaming of a huge yard to play in. 

Seamus won the hearts and minds of even the most hardened anti-pit bull crowd. I would get offended when they suggested that it was a bad idea to have such a dangerous dog near the kids. I would then show them these photos and their hearts melted. 

When I went back to work, Seamus and Freckles would greet me at the door, bounding down the hall over each other to see who got to me first. They actually did this for anyone who walked through the door. They loved visitors. I often joked that they would let a robber in, show them around, and help them load the car. 

For the last couple of years Seamus and Freckles were best buds. They played together. I told them all the time, don't worry guys if we move, we're getting a fenced in back yard so you guys can run. Don't worry. When we moved back to Avon Lake, these guys ran around the back yard for over an hour, and slept better than they had slept in years. It hurts me to know that Seamus won't get to enjoy it. 

So many folks are going to ask, what happened? How did he go from being an energetic pup to being under the knife to now, crossing the rainbow bridge. Seamus got hurt being a dog. He got out of his crate last Tuesday and found a stray corn cob. He did what dogs do, he chewed it and ate it, because yay food. After a few days he started to not be himself. He stopped eating and drinking. He was lethargic. 

We took him to the vet last Thursday. Initial xrays didn't show anything, but he was so dehydrated it was all fuzzy. The next day he seemed to get worse so we went back. Follow-up xrays showed he had a large shadow in his stomach and some sort of obstruction. After his surgery the doctor called and said, "this kid had a corn cob in his intestine." 

Monday he came home and last night he was seeping something, his incision came open; so I rushed him to the ER vet. I sat in a chair and he laid his head in my lap, tail wagging, trying to comfort me. He fell asleep standing up. By the time the vet came in, we decided to get him into the hospital and I would take him to his vet today. 

What happened in the end was, his intestines failed. They didn't heal. He slowly was leaking toxic fluid into his abdomen. Today the vet opened him up and his intestines had fused to themselves. They could remove it, but who knows what quality of life he would have? I called and cried on the phone with so many folks before I had to make the decision to stop his pain. 

Seamus brought so much love and joy to my family, he didn't deserve to suffer. 

The last thing I said to Seamus this morning when he was going back with his vet. I love you dude, be a good boy. He stopped looked back and gave me his little pitty smile. This is how I will remember Seamus. 

Thank you Seamus for saving my life. 

When I put the news on Facebook, I couldn't believe the out pouring of support. Thank you. I thank you, my family thanks you, and Seamus thanks you.