You will be missed....

Our Thanksgiving holiday didn't start out the way we liked. We left town to head to Oklahoma around 3:00 on Tuesday afternoon. All was good. The dogs had been fed and were outside to play. That evening around 9:30, I received a call from our pet sitter (this is the first time we have used her) and she said she was concerned about Buford. She asked me if he was normally real lethargic, moving slow, and he had drool hanging out of his mouth. The first two were pretty normal for him. He was 14 years old. The drooling was a little concerning for me. About that time I hear her (pet sitter) trying to rush him out the door because he was about to throw up. She got him to the fireplace. Ok, now I'm getting concerned. He was fine when we left him today. Maybe he's got an upset stomach. I asked her to call me back in a bit and let me know how he was doing. About 30 minutes later I talk to her and she said she had gotten him back inside on his bed and laid beside him and rubbed his belly and that he was doing much better. We were still concerned and contemplated driving the 3 hours back home to be with him that night. We decided that since she said he was doing better we'd wait and see how he was doing in the morning.


My phone rang at 7:40 the next morning and it was our pet sitter. The words out of her mouth were this.


"Danielle, It's (her name). I'm so sorry, he's gone!"


I was in complete shock, denial, and was hurting so bad. I knew the time would come and I knew it was coming soon but I never thought that we'd be 3 hours away when it did. I couldn't even think clearly at this point. Hubs took the phone and finished the conversation with her. I then got on the phone to figure out what to do with him. Luckily our vet could take him. Our pet sitter was the best. Her family took great care of him and even took him to the vet for us. They wrapped him in an old blanket, she cut a rose for him, they said a prayer over him, and then took him to the vet. What a wonderful person. We couldn't be more thankful for her.


I have to admit I was dreading coming home. I knew it was going to be so different without him here and it was. When we walked in and only heard 1 dog barking,/excited to see us, I cried. Seeing his empty collar laying on the counter, I cried. Seeing the "special treats" we fed him, I cried. When I went into the laundry room for the first time and saw the freshly washed rug, I cried knowing that that was the place he died. We will miss him terribly. Riley is missing his best buddy too. He keeps walking around the house looking for him and then he just goes back and lays down.


There are so many things that we will miss about our SWEET BUFORD.





* That deep hound dog bark.


* The way he snored when he slept.


* The way when you gave him a chew bone he'd walk around the house forever trying to find the perfect place to "bury" it. He'd lay the bone in the corner and "throw" dirt on it. It was hilarious to watch.


* The way his ears covered his eyes when he slept.


* The way he would lay and let the girls do whatever to him.


* The way he protected them when they were babies.


* That when it rained you knew you'd always have a sleeping buddy. (he hated storms)


* The way he got so excited when it was time to eat and then it took him forever to eat it.


* The way he would lay all spread out in the sun outside.


* That he'd drink out of the toilet at times. (I know gross, huh)


* The way he and Riley were the best of friends.


* That he was so sweet and lovable.


* The way he would lean into you more and more as you would pet him.


* That when we took him for a walk we'd get about 1 block and he was done and would NOT walk anymore.


* The way he was so gentle when the girls would give him his treats.


* The way he slept most of the day.





There are many more things that we will miss for a long time. He was apart of our family for 8 years. We adopted him from Pets and People when he was what they thought to be about 6 or 7 years old. I don't know what the first half of his life was like but I know the past 8 years were full of love, laughter, and fun. We love you sweet Buford.

Rest in peace...We will love and miss you!!