# Lost Red Dog



## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

Back in spring of '77 i was sitting at my table typinger a letter,m looked up and there was a bedraggled irish Setter looking in the window at me. I went out and he came up to me tial wagging. He was thin, somehwhat matted, had fleas and ticks and a gash in his hip. and no tags or even a collar I went and and got a bowl of water and scrounged up someting in the kitch for him to eat, but when i took it out, God love him, he was more interested in getting attention from me and eating--tho he did drink. I put him in the back yard and went to the neartest vet and got some dip, then to store to get a small bag of dog food and shampoo.

I got home and gave him a bath, dipped him, and gave him real dog food he tried to come in with me, but i wouldn't let him. Searched thru Lost and Found and no ads for los irish Setter. Everyone t8ime i went he tried to come in, but i was a little worried he would hurt my big black rabbit, Funny Bunny. Funny Bunny was litterbox trained, trained to walk with harness and leash, a real love bug. Well, finally i put Funny Bunny in a back room and let the dog in. He had perfect manners in the house, knew so many commands. i knew he had been well loved and i was boudn to eventaully see a poster or an ad for him. I just called him Red Dog. oh, i introduced him to Funny Bunny and they were pals right off the bat.

Time passed, no poster or ad and he bcame MY dog. Jerry called him Sandra's Shawdow because he was always with me. As a matter of fact, where you found me you also found him AND Funny Bunny. i would lay on the sofa to wach TV and Red would be up at my feet and Funny Bunny would be up there with his head on my shoulder. At night, with hubby gone most of the time, Red slept on his side of the bed and Funny Bunny slept on my pillow. We did run into a problem when jerry was home for a couple of nights at a time. Red loved him and would sleep between us. BUT Funny Bunny didn't want him in the bed and wold pee on him. We had to start putting Funny Bunny out in his hutch when jerry was home.

We had him about 3-4 years and I ended up in the hospital 4 times in a month, once for a week. jerry just worked locally during that time to be home with the boys. Well, Red didn't want to eat. They would call me and hold the phone to his ear and i would talk to him, but even that didn't do much good. My neighbor said she had never felt so sorry for a dog in all her life. Many the times I would be gone hours for a time doing volunteer work at school, helping with or atteding little league games for both sons, shopping. But when i was in hospital he would sit and "cry" as she put it. Said it was the most pitiful sound and it broke her heart because she knew he knew something was wrong with me and he was missing me so muchl

One day he was sleeping in livignroom and i went back to make up beds and he came down the hall to the room and started barking and went back down hall. He repeated this action and i went to see what was up. He had a small ref. in back corner (a usualess area actually) of the livingroom and we kept cokes, beer, ice box desserts fruit and veggies from market in it. He went to the fridge and looked at it, then me, barking. He had habit of tossing his milk bones and rawhids around befor eating them and sometimes they would end up under furniture. I figured he must have detected the scent of one under the little fridge. I told him, I was not moving it to get is treat. Went back to the bedroom and he came down just petering me again. I got tired of listening to him, so went and pulled the fridge out-----only it wasn't a treat under there, it was son's hamster Lazy Boy. Once Lazy Boy was back in his cage, all was fine. Another time he was scratching at son's closet and barking. Son opened the door and Lazy Boy was in there. We found we could depend on him to let us now if Lazy Boy got out--the other hamster, Snowball, never did. Red would lay on sofa and let those hamsters run all over him.

I had had red just about 8 years when one night he stumbled and almost fell coming in the back door. Same thing next morning so we got him to the vet. Xrays and blood work as done and the vet said he had an infection in his spine. A few days on antibitoic and he was worse, so antibiotic was changed. i think we cahnged like 4 times and he just got worse. he couldn't even get up or walk without help. He would only eat a few bites of food and that was if i hand fed and and begged him to '"Please eat for Mommy" One morning he lay there and thres up yellow foaam and couldn't lift his head out of it and i knew i had to let him go. I cleaned up his ear and side of his face and e put him in the pickup (Thank God jerry was home) and took him to the vet. I stayed in the truck, but jerry was with him til the end. The vet ad advixed that i not be in thee anyway.

WE got my youngest brothe and took him out and buried him where a number of my Dad's hunting dogs were buried. Red always had to have his head on a pillow and if he was on the floor he would take a throw pillow from the sofa and put it on the floor to lay his head on. I honestly think that it was more than just a spinal infection, probably cancer. I just wish the vet i have now had been my vet back then--but he was only in college. I lost my Red in '85 and I still miss "Sandra's Shadow"

A coupleof pictures of Red and one of his pal, Funny Bunny. The pitures are a lttle discolored bedause i have since learned, many of the plastic sheets on those older albums dmamaged pictures.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

I forgot to add that the first picture was taken right afer he showed up--note how skinny--and the next was taken much later.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Thank you for telling us his story. He was an angel in your shadow. You tapped a deep well of love when you showed him that first kindness.


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## Griffyn'sMom (Mar 22, 2007)

What a sweetheart - thank you for sharing his story. Sad that his former owners didn't look longer for him - perhaps someone they knew saw him get hit by a car (the gash in his hip) and they gave him up for lost. 

It's plain that he was meant to be your dog anyway - how he found you and took to you. It's amazing how they often find the person that they know will take care of them.

RIP Red/Shadow - say Hi to Jake for me.


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## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

What a story.
Red sounds like he was a fabulous dog.
Thanks for sharing.


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

What a wonderful story!


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

What a nice story to share with us. Red sounds like he was a real dream of a dog.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

thanks for sharing that story with us...


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

He was a beautiful boy and was meant to be your dog. A great tribute for a great dog.


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## Tailer'sFolks (Feb 27, 2007)

A Beautiful Story of Red...Thank You for sharing...


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## Hudson (May 18, 2005)

A wonderful tribute,to your red dog,what a great life you had together.


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## goldensmum (Oct 23, 2007)

Thank you for sharing your memories of Red


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