RIP Geo Dog

Geo 1998 - December 16, 2011

Today was a very hard day.  It has been coming for awhile now, but the reality of the situation presented itself in full force last night.

Geo, our family dog, has been with us since our youngest son Z was born...eight years!  We got him when he was about five.  As best we could guess, Geo is a combination of Husky, Shepard, Great Pyrenees, and Bernese - or something like that.  He was a big dog with lots of fur.  He had been rescued from a horrible home where his owner had kept him on a two foot chain in the front yard.  His fur was so matted that we had to shave him down to his skin.  He had chain scars on his neck.  But he was the dog for us.  When we first met him, M (who was even afraid of squirrels at the time) ran over to him and hugged him.  I was flabbergasted and thrilled.  This was OUR dog.  We brought him home that day.

We guess his age at around thirteen this year.  For a big dog, this is quite old.  For months, we have seen his level of activity decline.  He has had trouble controlling his bladder.  He has lost a lot of weight.  He has generally looked tired.  And this is saying a lot because Geo has always been a VERY calm dog.  We always joked that he is more of a glorified rug than anything.  But the changes were noticable and we talked at length about how to know when the time was right to help him leave this world.

Last night when I got home, Geo was not on the porch in his usual spot.  I called to him and for the first time in his life, I heard him crying.  He was lying in the grass about a hundred feet from the house.  He couldn't get up.  I went over, picked him up, and carried him into the house.  His body was so bony and fragile under all the fur.  I set him down on his blanket and he flopped over onto his side, apparently not interested in getting up again in the near future.

In the morning, he was just where I left him.  Several times I saw him shuffle his feet under his body in an attempt to rise, but he gave up quickly.  I brought the water bowl to him and he drank several times, but would set his head down in the bowl if I didn't remove it when he was done.

I talked with the boys about the situation and explained that we needed to help Geo to die.  They said their goodbyes before leaving for school.  While I told them that I would call the vet, I knew that we couldn't afford the $200 to have him come out to euthanize.  J is out of town for the weekend so I called a friend.  She and her father came out mid-morning to help.

We carried Geo outside in the blanket and then lifted him off onto the dirt.  He didn't even attempt to get up.  I think he knew it was time to go too.  I tried to busy myself with the goats, but the ring of the shot pierced me and I broke down.  While I am used to the life and death lifestyle on a farm, the loss of such a dear friend is devastating.  Geo has been with me through some of the most challenging days of my life.  It sounds so cliche, but he was a loyal friend and without a doubt, one of the best dogs in the world.

I spent the rest of the morning using the ditch witch to dig a hole and bury him.  J will have to rebury him when he returns as I am not able to get the trenching arm onto the front and really get down deep.  But for now, we know that Geo's remains will be safe from predators.