He went gently, mostly. The vet didn’t secure the IV well, and unfortunately it was pulled loose. I hate to think he suffered any pain. I know he was scared…he soiled the blanket I wrapped around him so he would be warm and comforted, as Dave carried him in. They cleaned him up beautifully and brought him back into me and we four, me, Dave, the vet and her assistant, helped him pass quietly from this conciousness. His paws…his poor scraped, bloody paws. He couldn’t control his hind legs anymore at all…it’s what helped me make the decision, most of all. Max loved to run, run run run, and jump, oh my how he loved that. In fact, his last night in his body, he had a dream that he was running, and in his sleep, his body worked perfectly. I could tell, cause all four legs were working perfectly, just the way they were meant to. I’m glad he had that dream, and I’m glad I got to witness it.
One of my most favorite pictures of Max…he looks so happy, on a hot September day, posing beautifully on one of the rocks he loved to climb at Great Brook Park in Carlisle, MA
Born in April 1997…no one knew the exact date, so I gave him Grandma’s birthday. She wouldn’t have minded…she LOVED animals. Max had a bit of a rough start in life…it seems he was abused in some way by young boys…that’s all the shelter knew about him. That and the fact he was very snappy. Perfect! I love a challenge. Let me take in the ones that no one else would want. I adopted him, for my parents I thought, and then, just like that, I had a dog in my life again, for the first time since the early 1990s. I took Max to a behaviorist and between that and the love my friend Julie’s two step sons gave him, we soon got him over his fear of young boys. Julie’s dog, Kahlua, same age as Max, became his best doggie friend, and they did a lot together. Max didn’t really like most dogs, he preferred humans, but oh, he loved Kahlua! Kahlua passed last year, so I’m sure they had a nice reunion.
Dad had a special bond with Max, often they’d nap together, Max comfy on Dad’s lap…until Max heard something, then off he’d jump! Dad always shared bits of his food with Max (and Wolf, too)
I wasn’t going to announce this until my cousin came back from her cruise, but someone I told mentioned it on my wall on FB, and it took off from there. I like to think the power of Max’s love was so strong as to be sung from the rooftops. In, fact, let me share some of the things people said about him.
“Max was also a good buddy to me ,I enjoyed his bounding antics,his faithfull compamionship and yes even his bad breath and pintoes that would spike me at night. love ya max will miss you dearly sniff sniff” – My sweet Dave, who cried over Max like he was his own…which, in a way, he had become.
”
He LOVED to jump! I used to call him my circus dog, he could easily walk on his hind legs, begging for a treat
“Sweet Max… loved those cute ears of his.” – Heather, who loved his soft ears and the way they flopped, first one, then the other, as he walked.
“I feel like I knew Max, having read about him for so many years. I will miss his pictures and posts about him, I’m so sorry Janet, my thoughts are with you *hugs*” – from Dyane, a blog friend. I love that she got to know him virtually, through my words and pictures.
“Oh ((Janet)) ♥ MAX ♥ I am so sorry.” – from Krista, who knew him in real life
“Max was one of my favorite internet-dog pals.” – Stacy, who knew him from my blog and I just loved how she phrased this
“oh max,, he touched my heart.” – Jen, who I met through Krista, and who became a friend, to me and my dogs. She also is the person I trusted to stay here and take care of them when I went off on an adventure. She had a lovely connection with Max, that’s for sure. Wolf, too, but she especially liked Max.
One of Max’s favorite spots in the old house…his own personal window seat, where he could look out into the world…and sometimes hear the coyotes howl out in the back woods.
“Sweet Max. Sorry for your loss, Janet.” – Tara, another one of Max’s special friends in real life. He loved him some Tara!!!
“There was something about Max that was so uplifting, every single time you posted a picture of him on your blog. This genuinely saddens me, but know sincerely, Janet, that his gentle and charismatic smile will remain in the hearts of many for a long, long time. Thinking of you tonight…” – Rus, another I met through my blog, who definitely has a way with words!
“You two have been quite the team for as long as I can remember. In the end, you gave him the most loving, selfless gift of all, peace without pain. The awesome memories he left for you will fill that void left by his passing. Hugs!!” – Carolyn, who I met via shiba rescue, and her words did give me comfort.
“I’m so very sorry Janet. Max touched all of us even if it was through your beautiful pictures. hugsxoxo” – Sherry, and this is what I love about blogging! People you end up feeling close to, just like in real life where sometimes you connect with someone and *shrugs* sometimes you don’t. Sherry was, is, a definite connection.
One of Max’s favorite places to run was the beach! He didn’t care much for the water, but he sure loved the sand!
“:-( poor evil max” – Andy, Julie’s stepson. This really made me smile, Andy helped Max get over his fear of little boys and I tell you, it really helped Max!
“I’m sorry for the sad goodbye and glad you had so many years of making each other happy. He’ll be waiting for you on the other side, I am sure of it.” – Karen C., I hope so! I surely do.
Go in peace, my sweet boy. You will be missed…you ARE missed, but I know Dad, Mom, Kahlua and Molly (to name but a few of the humans and animals that loved him) were oh so very happy to see you again!
I got him from Buddy Dog in Sudbury…the woman who showed him to me said he’d already been returned by one family for nipping a child. He was abused by children as a pup. Armed with that knowledge, I worked with him to teach him that not all children were to be feared. And he learned, oh my, did he learn!
