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Pets with Cancer
{Endlesslove} Group Angels
In Loving Memory of
Charlie aka Rokadade's Mako Charlie Jered
July 1987 to August 1995
Who died of Liver and Kidney Cancer
and was Vicki Roudinis' inspiration to start this
support group
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/PetswithCancer
Over the years my husband Joe has had many dobes, but Charlie was
my first dobe.
A grandson of the great Ch Hotai Charlie, he spent his entire life
being the best First Dobe I could ask for.
Charlie died of cancer in August 1995 at 8 years of age.
Charlie’s Veil
Charlie’s gone. It’s been more than a month now, and I’m
doing better, but every once in a while, I begin thinking about
Charlie and find myself behind a veil of tears. He was not my first
pet. Actually, he’s part of a long, much loved line of pets. He
was, however, my first dobe. He was also the first pet that I’ve
ever lost to cancer. A cancer that I didn’t even know was
there.
There was something special about Charlie. He made friends for
himself and the breed wherever he went. I have four others (his
niece, nephew, grand niece and nephew), but none of them have
whatever it was that Charlie had. He was the only animal (actually
only anything) brought into a local nursing home that would get a
response from one of their residents. For him, she would light up.
Terri, who never knew him has come to like his breed,
ironically through his death. She was visiting a friend who has one
of Chach’s sons. Terri told me that when Penny hung up the
phone after I told her about Chach, Red walked into the room. Penny
said “your daddy’s dead”. Terri said his whole
expression changed. His head dropped, he went into the living room,
got on the couch, put his head on his paws and would not move. She
said it was the most human response she had ever seen in a dog.
I was with Charlie when he died. It was while he was on the
table that Paul discovered the cancer. There was nothing we could
do. Paul could take the kidney, but with the other kidney, spleen
and liver involved, he would live a very short, very painful life. I
asked Paul to let him go. I was with him when he went. I am so
thankful I had that time with him.
It seemed appropriate, that day as we took him home, that it
was gray and raining. By the time we got home it had dried up and I
laid him on the ground outside the house. One by one, I brought each
of my other dogs out to see him. Oddly, Seth, who had to be kept
separate from Charlie because he would attack Charlie, whimpered and
nudged him a bit.
While we buried him, I had his nephew, RC, out with us. Rarely
outside the fence, RC was running, rolling and playing - enjoying
the unexpected freedom. And at times looking as if he were playing
with another dog. Somehow, his overabundance of life seemed so
fitting right then.
Later that day, there was a rainbow over the spot where we had
laid him.
I believe he’s still with me. When the dogs howl
(something he taught them to do and they NEVER did unless he started
it) I hear his voice. Others have said that they can still hear him,
too. Maybe he’s travelling to the Rainbow Bridge and back.
Many times when I think of him, it’s the good times I
remember. And when I picture him, he’s still running and
playing,
but sometimes, it’s behind a veil of tears.
Vicki Roudonis, September 1995 |
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