|
 |
 |
| Name: |
Baron
|
Age: |
Deceased, Ten years old
|
| Gender: |
Male |
Breed: |
Newfoundland, German Shepherd
|
| Home: |
Arnhem, the Netherlands, Holland |
My
Baron was very special, loved by all people and kids in the neighborhood.
He was a quarter Newfoundland and 3/4 German Shepherd. Now he's passed away
and everyone misses him a lot, like I do.
I had cancer seven years ago and Baron was three years old then. He was used to walk
for hours with me, and we played a lot in the garden and inside my house. He
could throw a tennis ball to me with his mouth and I threw it back and he
could catch it almost all the time. He loved that game! When I was very ill
from my chemotherapy, he didn't want to walk with any other person, he just
wanted to stay with me. He didn't ask for walks, didn't ask for games, he
just lay next to me on my coach to watch over me. He could feel that I was
seriously ill. When I became better he knew it immediately and wanted to walk
and play again. Without him I don't know if I had been able to manage!
He was born with elbow dysplasia and the veterinarian found out he had it
when he was just five months old. We had to wait until he was seven months old so he
could have an operation in an animal-clinic because our veterinarian could
not do this complicated operation himself. The animal-clinic said, after the
operation, that I should have to be glad if he lives five years, and with very
much luck he might live for six years because all his bones, joints, knuckles
and ligaments were very bad, but he would be an old dog.
His mother had nine puppies and he turned out to be the only one with this
condition. Both his parents were tested for ED and HD but they did not have
it. When I had to put him to sleep because he was in too much pain, my
veterinarian told me it was only because of my good care that he had reached
the age of ten years and four months old that he did.
His whole life he was my "problem child" because throughout his life, I had
to take him many, many times to the veterinarian and every time I was scared
and worried it would be "the beginning of the end." That's the reason why we
had such a strong connection: I took care of him when he was sick and he took
care of me when I had my cancer.
We loved each other very much and I made him swim as much as possible because
swimming was very good for him. That strengthened his muscles so that
released stress on his joints and ligaments. We had a very strong connection:
all people who live in my neighborhood say "when we saw you, we saw Baron at
your side" because he was always with me. I took him with me on busses and
trains too, and everywhere people told me all the time he was such a special
and friendly dog.
If two dogs were ever fighting, he separated them from each other, even when
he did not know these dogs, so he was (like me) a peace-maker. He himself
never ever fought, he was friends with all animals and people, and very much
friendly with children and they all loved him a lot. Once he rescued a small
puppy out of the water. The puppy had fallen through ice and Baron crushed
the ice with his paws and grabbed the puppy in his neck and put him back on
the ground.
And a very special thing about Baron was, he once dragged me on his leash
towards an old man sitting on a bench. He never pulled so hard on his line
and I did not understand, but then he put his head on the old man's lap. I
excused him to the man, but the man said, "No, I understand your dog: I'm
very sad because my wife has just died and your dog noticed that." I was so
moved because Baron was really comforting that old man. The man and I had
both tears in our eyes. And Baron did not even know that man!
Normally, by the way, he always walked free without a leash, only when I was
in the city with him I put him on his line. So you understand how much I
loved him: he was a very special dog!
See more images of Baron!
|
|
|
|
|
