Moe is our July 1, 2012 Pup of the Week

I don’t know if I’d want to be a human.  I think human’s lives are quite hard.  There is work, losing work, money, losing money, children, children moving away, parents, parents passing on.  It’s a weekly drama.

During this time us dogs sleep, snuggle, play, pee, poop, and bother humans for walks and attention.  But we also know when humans are down and we can put a smile on their face so easily, with a smile, a sad look, a soft paw on the arm, just the gentle peace of us sleeping next to them.  We are obliged to do it.  This is our mission in life.   I know they pick up our poo, put up with our housebreaking problems, feed us, pay huge medical expenses for us, endure our senseless barking, our getting you up before they want, and the random half eaten couch, but it’s a pretty even trade.

Except for the slight problem that 100% of our lives take up about 15% of theirs.  Humans seem to outlive everything but humans.  It’s not like a turtle or a sponge ever owned a human and said “wow, that one only lived to 64, that’s the fourth one I have owned and I’m only 182.”

To paraphrase the comic Louis K: a human finds a dog, it loves the human more than the human ever felt it could possibly be loved, the dog lives to be 15, is loyal and true, then dies in it’s sleep leaving the human alone and heartbroken, and that’s the best case scenario.  But I doubt that Kristina Lawson, Scooter and Lilly feel they are experiencing the best case scenario.  

This year they have sent three of their pups to Rainbow Bridge.  First Jack, then Jilly Girl, and finally Moe, at 14 years of age.

There are downsides to being a pup.  There are those pup who never find their humans and die sad lonely deaths, and I don’t think there is any worse life than that, to be created to love and never being able to find that love.

Our relationship with Moe and his pack goes way back to the early days of Doggyspace.   They were five dogs collectively known as the Lawson Gang.  That was five years ago.  And that is part of the reason for the sea of sadness that has overcome us recently.

Many pups who signed up for Doggyspace were approximately seven years old.  Now that first generation of cyber pups is going to the Bridge which is why this month has been so hard.  But there are the young pups who are our future and hopefully they will carry on the traditions us older pups have established if we have taught them well.

Moe’s Mom still has Lily and Scooter to carry on but I am sure it’s hard for them to find the words to post right now.  Hopefully they will soon.

Moe and his gang joined the Tanner Brigade rebels in August 2007, their reasons being the same as so many, Scooter was in love with Hattie Mae and wanted to be with her.
His first few blogs here dealt with family:  Scooter catching his first vermin, him sleeping in the dryer, Lily upset when her Daddy forgot her birthday.

Moe was having some problems back then.  He had the itchies and was on steroids which made some nosy neighbors mention he was putting on weight.  Seriously, who puts on more weight than a human?  Moe also would impart jewels of wisdom on us like this:  “Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always, have to mix love & hate.”

In February 2010 Moe posted a blog letting us know how loved he was:  “Am I really the cutest dog in the world or is this something every furkid's mom says to them? Mom grabs my wrinkles every morning and says "You are the cutest dog in the world." Is this just another mom conspiracy or am I really the cutest, if so I want to cash in on some of my cuteness. Paws up! Love, Moe “

Moe’s Mom is one of our warrior Moms fighting for us.   A year ago she was driving down the road and found a box with an abandoned puppy.  Being a warrior Mom she found a home for the pup that day despite recovering from surgery.  Five months later she would find another dog walking on the side of the road, cold and hungry and she took him home and found him a new home.  A few months later, despite having a pack of five, she took in a Shih Tzu as a foster pet.

Moe, despite his advancing years, had some tricks up his paws.  He would go to bed with his Mom.  But he would hear his human brother come in with his friends.  He would climb out of bed and find those humans, then stay up all night with them eating snacks.

Moe was also part of a great love affair.  Big Moe with the beautiful wrinkly face loved little Lily with the white fur.  Whenever the pack got in trouble Moe was barred from speaking with Lily.  He was one heartsick pup.

But the true love of his life was his Mom.  They did everything together including getting hurt in an ice storm when Mom fell right on top of Moe.  They were both sore and spent some time on a heating pad.  His Mom thinks she fell on him but the truth is Moe threw his body underneath her to keep her from harm.

On his 14th birthday, October 24, Moe wrote this in answer to his Mom’s wish that he would be with her forever:  “I am trying real hard but some days are pretty hard but I take my giddy up and go pill and I am on the move once again.  Yeah I know all our moms want us around furever.  I been with my Mom through lots of tough times and she has helped me through some rough times.  I feel really lucky to have been around this long and I have the best Mommy in the whole world.  I will enjoy my ice cream today and whatever specialities come my way today.  I am most of all blessed to have come to know you all!  Love, Moe (aka - Moesie)”

Shortly after that the packs computer went kaput and, when they came back, they had nothing but bad news.  First Jack posted that he was sick.  He had sugar in his pee.  And his health didn’t improve and he finally succumbed to Cushing’s Disease.  A short time later, during surgery, their sister Jilly Girl succumbed to the same disease.  

Meanwhile Moe was having trouble getting around.  His Mom had bought a sling so she could support him when he walked.  And this time they managed to stay upright.  But on June 25, while his Mom was doing her warrior Mom business Moe started to lose control of his bodily functions.

Later that day Moe’s Mom posted this sad blog:  “I love all my dogs but Moe was really something very special to me. I lost my very best friend today.”

While no one can understand the pain she is going through, and we would not to feel it,  and did not have her relationship with Moe, we too felt we lost our best friend.

Good night sweet Moe, we will see you on the other side of the river, lay in the cool grass, look into the water, and watch our memories flow out to the sea.