Louis (Unknown-1992)

[The Zephyr]

Louis was a cross breed, probably GSP and Lab from what I could tell. He was saved from the pound and given to a girl from her then boyfriend. Unfortunately, “Louie” as she called him had a penchant for her neighbor’s chickens.

Louis was returned to the house I was sharing with a bunch of guys after graduating from college. He was neglected, as the fellow who gave him to his girlfriend already had a dog. Louis was left to sleep in the living room and when everyone went off to bed, I’d sneak him upstairs and let him rest at the foot of my bed.

In short time Louis and I were a team. I’d take him to work when I was doing residential construction. Most everyone brought their dogs to the jobsites. Primarily labs, the other dogs would wander off and accost the garbage cans down the street. Louis, however, would sleep at the bottom of the ladder I had taken to the roof. Curled up like a GSP. One Sunday, I had slept in. When I took a look out back by the barns and trucks I saw Louis, sitting erect in the passenger’s seat of my pickup staring out the front windshield. I confronted the other guys in the house. “C’mon guys, don’t just leave him in the truck if he’s bothering you!” They responded by telling me he had jumped through the driver’s window and had been waiting for me since 7 am.

Our landlord a local farmer suggested I take Louis out with him and the beagles to hunt bunnies “Let’s see what he can do.”

Well, that winter Louis was our jump dog. He’d point the rabbits in the brush before the beagles came and we would release him to flush.

However my greatest pleasure with Louis was lying on an old canvas tarp the dog at my side covered by a piece of burlap sedged with cornstalks outback in the lot. Louis would be quivering with excitement as the greenheads began cupping into our stool in the flooded corn.

We would hunt the fields and ponds together on either side of the Main Road, the Wells piece, Benjamin’s, and the Tuthill swamp.

Louis was a great companion; I would take him along everywhere. Once on a beautiful fall day a group of us ditched work and went surfing out by the point. Louis sat on big rock as we paddled out. He seemed content as we took turns riding the waves. And then it started, long soulful, baying. He had lost track of me and the wind was from the shore, he couldn’t smell me any more. I called to him and without hesitation and to my surprise he lunged off that rock and began swimming to me through the chest high breakers. Louis would duck dive as the waves approached, reappearing and clearing his snout as he broke water. I got a hold of him when he got close and paddled with him back to shore. We would call it a day.

With life’s responsibilities I had to move on. I left Louis with the guy that had pulled him from the pound. I received a call a few months later from an acquaintance. Louis was not being taken care of and was allowed to roam. I went back to the farm and found Louis skulking around the outbuildings. He didn’t look well. He was dirty. He had worms. That dog came to me and rested his head against my leg and whined. He wasn’t my dog. What could I do? I felt really bad, but I wasn’t going to steal someone else’s dog.

Louis died after being hit crossing the road down by the Wells’ piece. The farmer was certain Louis was looking for me at one of our old familiar hunting spots. “He had no other reason to be there.”

Rest in peace, Louis

[Crystal kennels]

How sad........... Rest easy Louis.........


Judy

[wchua24]

rest in peace...