Schuster's Independence Day

Four years ago, DH climbed Mount Rainier. Well, almost climbed it. He and a climbing/hiking friend got within 200 feet of the summit and ran into a blizzard so they had to turn around. During the descent, they got lost in the blizzard and faced some harrowing circumstances. Fast forward one week and DH is sitting in my living room recounting his adventure. He looked fierce. He had lost several layers of skin on his face due to wind burn and almost all of his toe-nails.

As I was listening to his Rainier tale, I looked over his shoulder, out the window and saw a dog on the sidewalk. The dog looked like a scrawny coyote. He had no collar, tags or apparent owner. I tried to focus on DH's story, but it became increasingly difficult. I couldn't take my eyes off the dog. DH turned around saw the dog and rolled his eyes.

DH: Ah'm not gittin' the dowg
Me: He looks lost, just go out and get him and then you can tell me about your climb.

I batted my eyelashes and gave him my most sincere smile.
That didn't work.

Me: (pleading tone) I can't listen to your story while that poor abandoned dog is out there.
DH: Look at me, down't you feel bad for me, ah lowst my toenails, Ah'm exhausted, Ah'm not gittin' the dowg

Instead of batting my eyelashes, I gave him the look that says unless-you-get-that-dog-this-very-minute-I'm-going-to-go-all-kinds-of-wife-crazy-on-you.

DH: Alraht Ah'l git the dowg

(Note to the reader: I know, I could have gotten the dog, but it did look like a coyote and I wasn't sure little ol' me could handle such a creature.)

As soon as DH went outside to get the dog, the dog walked away. DH, hobbling from the loss of toenails, couldn't keep up. He came back in.

DH: Ah tried, but he walks fast, couldn't catch 'im
Me: Well, thanks for trying. I bet if you took the car, you could go faster and maybe catch him.
(insert profuse eyelash batting)

DH: Ah'll try, but he walks fast, cain't figure where he went, he's a dowg, he roams
Me: Here's your keys.

DH walks to the car, muttering under his breath. He drives off to the right and I see the dog walking up to the house from the left. I know DH won't see him so I grab the only thing at hand to bait and lasso the beast: a shoelace and 1/2 a bagel.

The fierce, would-be coyote walked right up to me, sniffed the bagel and looked up at me as if to say, "it took you long enough." I tied the shoelace around his neck and brought him home. Turns out the shoelace wasn't really needed, he walked alongside me like he had been my sidekick for years.

We named him Schuster. We already had a cat named Simon and figured Simon & Schuster was a bit cuter than Simon & Garfunkel. We took Schuster to the vet. He was 17 pounds and 12-13 years old. He was emaciated, he should have weighed 45 pounds. Schuster had a scar on his neck from an embedded collar and many scars all over his body. All of his teeth were either gone or broken from chewing on cage bars. He also had a small bullet or bb in his abdomen that had been there for years.

Schuster stayed with us for over 4 years. His hips started to weaken, but he still loved his walks. Neighbors would call out "Hey, there's Grandpa!" when they saw us coming. Schuster was brave, he endured regular chiropractic and acupuncture treatments like a champ. Schuster had his good days and bad, but he always rallied. DH said, "that dowg'll niver die, he'll bark at my funeral."

Then, last Friday, Schuster started to act very confused. He was running into walls and was having trouble standing. By Saturday morning, we knew he was starting to suffer. The end was near. We called the vet Saturday morning, but they had already closed for the holiday weekend. We considered taking him to an emergency clinic to be euthanized but decided we could keep him comfortable until Monday morning when our vet opened.

So, we spent the weekend hugging and loving Schuster at every opportunity. We fed him steak, sausage and treats. He loved it. We did our best to make him comfortable and said our last goodbye on Monday at 9 a.m.

We feel very fortunate that Schuster walked into our lives. We miss him dearly but are so grateful he is no longer tethered to a body that no longer worked.

Schuster 1989-2006