Laddie

I'm pretty sure it was 1996 that I adopted Laddie. I had just come back from Pensacola to live with my parents after being burned out working at Lakeview Center. It's frustrating to me that I can't remember 'why' I adopted him. Did I go to Paws on a whim? or was I actively seeking another dog. I remember seeing his advert in the paper. Paws called him Scamp. I remember visiting with him at Paws and actually adopting him at the BX on base. I think I paid 35 dollars. I was pretty down when I came back home, so perhaps I was seeking something.

My other dog had died a year or two before. He also lived at my parents house. It was a weekend morning that I happened to be home. It was around noon when I looked out the back window, and I noticed he was lying in the grass still. It looked odd, so I went outside and knelt down, and when I touched him, it was as if he let out his last breath. Max had lived a long 15 yrs.

Max had a mother named Snoopy. She was my first dog essentially. My parents got her from someone when I was very young. She was a fat ,black, dachsund mix. She gave birth to about 3 litters of puppies. I recall waking up one morning and seeing the new born puppies. I was so fascinated. I tried to keep a puppy from each litter, but the first two died shortly after from worms. One of them I had named Koenig! lol Max made it tho.

Snoopy lived a long time too, perhaps close to 10yrs. She developed a heart murmur in the last few months of her life. It would cause her these wretched spasms. I don't even remember how old I was, maybe 9th grade. I do remember debating on whether to get her euthanized, and I just couldn't do it. I took her out in the yard one night and sat with her for a long time. I held her head and told her how much I loved her, and that I would miss her when she was gone. She died shortly after. And like Max , and the other puppies I buried her.

Laddie died this past Saturday morning in his sleep. He was right around 15yrs of age as well. Like I said it's kind of frustrating that some of my earlier memories of him are not so vivid. I think one of the nicest days I can remember was taking him and Laurie's dog Sookie ( who has also passed) out to Panama City and some small towns. The dogs got to ride around in Laurie's CRV for hours and explore several parks that day. It was a nice day for Laurie and I as well.

Laddie loved his walks, and loved riding in the car. It would always crack me up when we would be walking and he would get a sand spur in his foot. Max was a complete wimp, but Laddie would just pick it out with his teeth and a small wimper. He was a tough dog, dealing with some sort of nervous system spasms every few months for the last few years. He killed a squirrel not but a few months ago. He inhaled his food and escaped the yard more than once. He would also howl whenever I left Fort Walton. He could sense I was leaving for a long time perhaps. Now that it's too late, I very much regret not being able to say goodbye to him or take him for one last walk. It is a thought that I will have to process for a while I think.

I want to thank my parents so much for doing their best to take care of him and for laying him to rest. RIP Laddie.