Goodbye Rush

[ezzy333]

Four weeks ago last night Kath let Rush out before bedtime and left the back door to the breezeway cracked so he could come back in and scratch on the kitchen door to be let back in just as we have done for the past couple of years. After ten minutes or so she checked and he hadn't come back in yet but was still out by the bird feeder that is ten feet from the house in the middle of a flower garden. He was just a week shy of his 13th birthday, deaf, and rather dependent on staying close when we were out and also staying close in the backyard when we weren't with him. So Kath came back in and left him out. Ten minutes later she went to the door and didn't see Rush so she walked out to look and when she didn't find him she thought he might be out by the pigeon lofts since he would go with us when we went out to do chores, but there was no sign of him. She came back in and asked me to take the 4-wheeler and look while she checked in all of the building and any place where he could get in. Sadly, we found no sign of him within a half mile in the fields. fencerows, buildings, or culverts after looking all night. We spent the next days searching all of the area again including any neighbors with in a mile or more. I put his picture and info on facebook and had 500 shares within our community plus shelters, police, animal control,and we haven't found or heard a thing.

He was old and I was pretty well prepared for his departure but I will never be prepared for any animal to suffer and my mind just kept thinking about the possibility of him caught or injured someplace waiting for us to find him.

I have finally decided that he is gone and that eases my mind but there will always be the wonderment of what happened to an old stiff dog that stayed close to his home as he aged abd depended on us to help when he needed it, what happened in the ten minutes it took for him to disappear? Of the hundreds of dogs we have had over the years of boarding, breeding, training, showing, and hunting and occasional trialing, he was the best. I humblely say goodbye with a tear in my eye but joy in my heart that I had the privilege of sharing many moments when he took my breath away. Goodbye to my "Rush to Excellence"

[Cicada]

Sorry for your loss. Old dogs and broken hearts they just seem to go together.

Grant

[deseeker]

Sorry to hear Rush is gone

[Carolina Gundogs]

So sorry for your loss.

[greg jacobs]

Certainly sorry for your loss
Gods speed Rush.

[SCT]

Tough way to go, sorry for your loss!

[MGIII]

Sorry for your loss.

[MJB64]

I am sorry for your loss. It is a tough day even when you think that you are prepared.

Mike

[Dakotazeb]

My condolences. Tough way for Rush to go out. Having just lost my own dog I feel for you.

[Timewise65]

The toughest thing about owning these wonderful creatures is losing them. Sorry, but I can tell that dog had a wonderful life! Maybe he was smart enough to know it was time and just went somewhere private to lay down and sleep...!

[Up North]

Sorry for your loss. Wish you could have said good bye to him. Sounds like he was one heck of a dog!

[kninebirddog]

Sorry for your loss

[ezzy333]

Thank you for the responses to our losing Rush under strange circumstances. As I said, we were prepared to see him go, but it still bothers greatly that we have no idea how. Everything is good and hopefully he didn't suffer. It will always be a mystery.

Ezzy

[greg jacobs]

Didn't say anything in the beginning but lost an old irish setter long ago. In similar circumstances. She was the dog I shot my first rooster over. Spent a couple days walking and searching and finally found her less than a quarter mile from the house. It was still hard but it was good to bring her back home.
Doubt he is far from home.
Again, sorry you are having to go through this.

Greg

[cohanzick creek]

sorry for your loss sad
cc

[Bird Dog 67]

Sorry to read this Ezzy..........the not knowing is a tough one. I'm sure Rush is out there hunting away somewhere. Tough stuff for sure.