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| 9:32 p.m.-2003-08-03 It's been a long day. A long week end. A very long week. Yesterday, we had to have my partner's service dog, Axel, put to sleep. I've had a lot of pets over the years; some have died young, some have died of disease, some have died of accidents, and some of sheer old age that astonished my vets. I've had them go naturally, I've had them put to sleep. But what happened yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life. I've always been the quiet one about Axel. He was David's pride and joy. The dog came into our lives like a thunderbolt, and he's left us with the suddenness with which he came. He was like a gift, left at the doorstep by an insightful god, and taken when we thought we couldn't live without him. He was a great dog. He loved his food. He loved his tug-tug (the belt off David's old bathrobe), he loved his puppy and his booda cow. He loved his llama and his dinner. But most of all, he loved David. And I loved him for that. But he was, in his own way, my dog too. He was up with me every morning, as I got ready for work, to have his breakfast and his walk. We had our mornings together, he and I, just the two of us. He was my bud. I haven't loved a pet like that, since my old cat, a Siamese female I was given when I was five. I grew up with that cat; I had her longer than I had my sister...and I know who I would've kept if they'd given ME any say in the matter. And in a way, I grew up with Axel too. He was with me during the most frightening surgery David had. He was so patient, waiting for me to come home from a long day at the pharmacy, and then a couple of hours at the hospital, because I couldn't take time off to do both. He'd wait, and wait, and wait, and greet me with a paint brush tongue and a waggy tail every single evening. I'd've gone crazy, if it weren't for that dog, because David's mom couldn't come up to be with us during that surgery. They say dogs teach boys many things. Having him around retaught me care. And compassion. And dedication. And devotion. Responsibility, too. Hell, I was sometimes surprised Dave kept me, sometimes... Thanks to the Diaryland folks who made such a difference. Sharing Axel's love of life with the world helped David too, and your amusement and affection, sharing Axel vicariously with us proved the old saw to be a true one. Joy is multipled when it's shared, and grief is divided. The Captain
to the quiet that is Ax's absence  The Internet's Mood: The Captain Recommends Dogcessorize 2006-08-13 - Movie Review: Monster House 2006-08-07 - Movie Review: The Descent 2006-06-09 - Movie Review: The Omen 2006-06-03 - She's here, She's here! 2006-05-22 - Blame the Cabin-Boy for playing 50 questions.
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