I cannot put down the memories of Ty’s life without including his accident. He was just over a year old. He liked to chase cars and the Amish buggies that would go past our house. It did not help that his Mom ran all over the neighborhood. Of course he wanted to see her. She lived across the street cattycornered from us, but spent most of her time at the house directly across the road. They were very generous with treats:) We always went outside with him to keep him in the yard. I was at work and my 15 year old daughter got home before me. She let the dogs out and thought she could go inside for a few minutes. She tells me that she can still hear the impact to this day and I am sorry she has that in her mind. A lady was speeding down the road( a neighbor witnessed it) and hit him with an SUV. She left after saying that she would be in touch if there was damage to her car. My cell phone had run dead that day( I don’t think we were as attached to them as we are now this was in 2007) I came down the road to see the whole neighborhood sitting in my front yard crying. Adults too! I called my husband who was on his way home. I could immediately tell his leg was broken. We loaded him into the back of our Jeep and I rode back there with him holding his leg together as best as I could. He would whimper when it would move, but never, ever showed any sign of aggression. When we got him to the vet and put him on the table, his tail was thumping. I knew then that this dog was one of a kind. He had to stay at the vet for 2 days before they would operate. He had lung contusions and they were concerned about additional internal damage. They basically wanted to see if he was going to make it before they fixed his leg. I called them many times over the next days. After an emotional 2 days, they decided to repair the leg. If the damage was too great, they would amputate. I now wonder….though his tumor was in his scapula, not his leg. I often wonder about the role the plate and pins played. that is one of those just don’t think about it things, I guess. They pinned and plated his leg and for the next 6 years, you would never know that anything had happened. I had to look close (there was a very faint mark) to remember which leg it was. He never had any further lung or stomach issues( well unless he ate those non food items) He ran, jumped and played as Labs do. I installed an underground dog fence the week he was hit. He would still occasionally run through it, but we could pretty much keep him contained. When we moved here, I had another one installed even though were far off the road. When we brought him home to recuperate, I was the one who took care of Ty. I fed him special things, gave him his meds, changed his dressings and took him to all of his vet visits. It was then that we formed that unbreakable bond. I would always joke to my husband that “his dog” was ornery. Suddenly he was “my dog”. Where I went, he went. He would turn those eyes on me and I would melt. My husband said to me one day that he had never seen a dog look at someone with as much love as Ty did me. He was so very special. When we would go to the vet, he had to be sitting on the bench beside me. He would then lean in just as close as he could get. How I miss that. When I would stand, he would lean into my leg so I could pet his velvet ears. He never minded the ear petting. I would love to pet them just one more time. He liked to be massaged in the little dent between his eyes. It was like acupuncture for him I think:) Ty did not have one mean bone in his body.Yet I have no doubt that he would have guarded my family with his life if need be. I was right way back then, he is one of a kind. He was my big, goofy furball of fire. I miss you precious boy!
And the day Lori became Ty’s!!
WOW! What an incredible event that day was! And, as you said, it showed so mich about who Ty is!
I love what your husband said avout the way Ty looked at you and the wayyou talked avout him leaning itoyou. A very, very’ special bond indeed.
Oh gosh, I don’t think anyone of us here would have given a seco d thought to going with the plate, etc. to fix a broken leg….especially being completely unaware back then that amputation was something that people did TO their dogs!! No sweet Lori, this stupid disease happens to dogs withor without pins, etc.
You two were definitely soul mates! Definitely! The best thing that ever happened to both of you was when he picked you!! Yep, this is a “love story” that’s for sure.
We all love hearing about Ty ad getting to know him even better. Heck! Ty melts my heart just looking at those wonderful eyes through a comuter screen…I can only imagine what “getting the look” was like in person!!
We love you to, you big “goofy furball of fire”! We are so fortnate to be on this journey with you and your mom Thanks for sharing your life with us……and we look forward to that continuing!
TY will always be remembered here! ALWAYS!! As will your forever bond!
LOVE!
Sally and Happy Hannah
Oooooh Lori, I started cracking up thinking about Ty chasing Amish buggies and then I read about the horrible experience you went through right after his accident, I”m SO SORRY. Geez that is hard to process at first, who can blame you for being so distraught over everything? Not me. I can’t imagine.
It’s clear that with you being able to recall so many great things about Ty, you are healing. Hold those memories close, they are amazing medicine.
{{{{hugs}}}}