Bauser is our December 2, 2012 Pup of the Week

 
Some dogs touch our hearts and we carry a bit of their soul with us when they pass on to the next realm, and then there are those dogs that leave something tangible to carry with us after they have gone.  Bauser is one of those dogs, and today I wear the bandana he made for me proudly and in his honor.

Bauser is now at the Bridge, having been there for three weeks.  It wasn’t announced because, understandably, his Mom was too broken hearted to do so, but she did announce it, in the true spirit of Bauser, when she heard that another doggy friend had dementia, which Bauser had suffered from, and, in offering advice, let us know that this Basset Hound legend had gone to the Bridge.

To tell his story I am going to borrow heavily from what his Mom wrote on his Bauser’s Bandana page, because no one knew him better, or loved him more, than his Mom.  Like Reba and her Mom, who I wrote about recently, Bauser and his Mom were a true pair, one couldn’t be spoken of without the other.

Bauser was a special dog for a number of reasons, one of them that he was a black and white basset hound.  He had been abandoned by his parents when he walked into one of his Mom’s friend’s workplaces with a rope tied around his neck and covered in dirt.  He got brought home, and was cleaned but the friend’s roommate did not want another dog.  That is how he went to his Mom and a beautiful couple was united for the ages.  

His Mom, although she loved him at first site, couldn’t imagine someone abandoning him and put up flyers and placed ads but the only responses could not describe him, then Bauser gave her his first howl of friendship and his Mom knew he was in his forever home.  His Mom went on a shopping spree for him and soon Bauser found himself sleeping in his Mom’s bed.

In 2008 Bauser injured a disk and needed major, and expensive, back surgery because his back legs were paralyzed.  His mother needed to raise funds for the surgery and she had a talent for making bandanas, so Bauser’s bandanas was born.

With a great deal of physical therapy and love from his Mom Bauser recovered and walked again but the demand for the bandanas could not be squelched so his Mom continued to make them and sent part of the proceeds to spinal cord research.  

Bauser has had a tough past year, first with more cervical issues and then a diagnosis of Dementia.    But there were still plenty of signs of a young pup in him as he still enjoyed playing with his treat ball.  

Last month Bauser took ill in the way that older dogs do when their Moms know that it’s time.  She took him to the vet and his Mom was told he had cancer of the spleen that had spread to his liver.  There could have been operations that would extend his life a few months but his Mom didn’t want him in pain any longer and sent him to the Bridge where he could be young and playful again.

In her blog explaining the circumstances of Bauser’s passing his Mom thanked everyone who did so much for him.  For the dog community, I would like to thank Bauser and his Mom for everything they did for us, for their kindness, their inspiration, their determination, their hard work, for honoring deserving pups as the dogs of the month, and for being as good a friend as a dog and their Mom could ask for.  

If you have not yet, please stop by Bauser’s page www.bausersbandanas.com and pick out a bandana.  You will look very styling and it will link you to several of your friends on your favorite sites.

Run free and easy Bauser, we love you, we miss you, and will will always keep you in our heart and wear you around your neck.

Prayers and Thanks:  Prayers are still needed for our good friend Ginger Dash missing since Thursday night.   To her Mom losing Ginger was like losing a human child.  Please pray she comes home soon........Our sweet, wonderful, beautiful friend Riccota was called home to the Bridge this week after a long battle with illness.  He was a tough little fighter who will be very missed........A long time great friend, Summer, who is in a pack with Debra Bastion-Lutgen, has been diagnosed with stage 3 mast cell cancer and is in need of lots of prayers and good thoughts.....Another Summer, owned by Carol Overland, after lengthy illness also went to the Bridge.  She fought very hard to stay with her Mom for as long as she could.   Her Mom can use a lot of support............Thanks to the Bridge Angels and all those who prayed for him:  Pokey was diagnosed with chronic heart disease, and while it is nothing to celebrate, it is certainly better than heart failure, and what would have been operations and lots of medicine......Also thanks given for those who prayed for, and those who kept healthy, Max, who found out the growth in his mouth was not cancerous.....And finally a big congratulations to Hobo and Lily, who, after a whirlwind courtship, were married today in a beautiful ceremony at the Tanner Brigade castle.