Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Wrap, The Alien RIP

A taste of the sweet, young spring grass


November 28, 1997 – April 8, 2009

Redenau Pizazz, CDX

Better known as Wrap, The Alien,
she was my Service Dog extraordinary, teacher, trainer, helper, jokester, guardian,
and she has left the building.
Rest in Peace good friend. You leave a huge tear in my heart.

Many have ask about Wrap’s final day and some have expressed the hope that she wasn’t in pain. No, I don’t think she was in much pain. I was giving her just enough Rimydal to keep her comfortable and not enough to make it impossible for her to do a few of her favorite things.

Yesterday she managed to play with her young Maltese friend Rugby. She was up and able to eat her dinner just like always, but was grateful that Sanity picked up her dirty pan and took it to the kitchen so she wouldn’t have to deal with the kitchen floor. She went outside a couple of times and enjoyed the yard.

This morning she was weaker and it took a bit more effort for her to get up and head for the office door. All the wild/rough young dogs had to spend the morning in kennel runs to allow her to safely move about HER yard one last time.

She greeted most of the morning’s day care owners at the gate, just like old times. She found a squirrel to yell at even managed a tiny half circle spin/dance. She ever so carefully checked out almost every single square inch of the yard. She had to give the top of the mulch pile a pass since it was just a bit too steep and the ground to unsteady for her to keep her balance.

She drank a lap or two from each of the water buckets, yelled at Sanity, moved between Sammy and Ferris to head off an argument, and then,searched but didn’t find the rabbit trespasser. She even retrieved a dumbbell and picked up a single piece of trash. By that time she was getting pretty tired and so made her way ever so slowly back up the ramp and in the house.

There was a fresh, clean padded area for her favorite spot in a patch of sunlight in the living room. True, it did take her two tries and some help from me to make it to her “pad”, but make it on her own she did. With only a little extra help she was able to lie down and an additional Rimydal helped her to be about as comfortable as possible so she could drift off to sleep.

Later, Dr. Morris arrived. Sydney, Leanne, Dr. Morris and I all sat around on the floor beside her. We stroked her as we remembered something special she had done and while we were remembering the needle slipped in a vein and she drifted off as smoothly and peacefully as if she was just going to rest for a moment or two.

4 comments:

  1. I'm SO sorry Margot. It's so hard I know. Our animal friends give us more than we could have expected and love us more than we could have hoped and that's why it's so hard to lose them. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time. Laurel Stone

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  2. Anonymous9:59 PM

    Hi Margot, i am sorry to hear about wrap, I purchased your dvd and manual and took a 10 yr old german shorthair a outside dog with little socialazation and 0 training and followed step by step and brought my old boy to a level i never thought possible. After week 6 i started adding the ecollar and i could sit or down him out to 100yds, i remember hearing wrap heel, etc, wrap was instrumental in my training. My old guy now has lymphoma and anyday i am going to have to say goodbuy and just wanted to let you know that you and wrap touched me and my old gsp from florida in a very positive way. I now have a 8mth old gsp that i hope to apply your program with. anyway take care and godbless

    Jerry Walker hernando fl

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  4. Jerry, Thank you so much for sharing how The Alien managed to touch your life. She sure was able to reach out to so very many people and dogs. As people are sending me condolences, I continue to learn over and over again just how great a dog I was blessed to have lived with for far too short a time.

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