I knew we had made the right decision when we placed McDuff. He went off to his new home, to share it with his new best friend, Mac, a Westie. Later that year, we got a card at Christmas which included a picture of the happy little guy with his best friend, Mac. What a change, I couldn’t see his tail but then neither could he. Life is good for the little guy now called “Duff” or “Duff Dog”.
A lot of loving and a little time works wonders
I got an e-mail late last year and found out he had come to the end of the road, it had been a fun trip but it was time. Here is the note I got about him.
“The first time I saw Duff he was part of a pile of Cairn Terriers laying in the sun, pressed up against a patio sliding door at the foster home. The very contented pile of dogs didn’t even know strangers were in the home until they heard a tapping on the window. An eruption of barking faces and wagging tails let me see that there were five very cute typical Cairn Terriers, with one little exception.
From the front, Duff was just one of the pack, but his back half showed a very different picture. Not only was there not one single strand of hair, the skin texture was rhino-like, thickened, discolored, and obviously unhealthy. It didn’t smell very good either.
Just a few minutes visit with the little guy let us know that what he lacked in beauty he made up for in sweetness. He would be a good addition to our home, and a good companion for our Westie, Mac, who also had health challenges. Arrangements were made to pick Duff up at a later date. I think they were surprised that we were really interested in adopting this strange looking dog, and expected us to change our minds.
No stranger to dogs with special needs I will admit that my first opinion of Duff’s condition was a severe flea allergy, or mange. Both of these proved to be incorrect. It took a year of specialists and lots of tests to tentatively diagnose an autoimmune disease. It meant that Duff took medication twice a day, which eventually also included eye drops twice daily. Almost all of his hair grew back, except on his tail. It looked like a possum tail with a cat toy attached to the end. Strangers would remark on this strange appendage but we were so used to it that other Cairn tails looked strange to us!
Duff had a glorious life with us. He was never alone, loved to play, loved to go for walks, loved going to the office, and loved traveling. He was a bonny lad, and we loved him.
Never robust, always needing extra care, Duff and Mac died just a few months apart. Our household was very sad, but we wouldn’t have missed having either one of them. We may have rescued Duff, but he enriched our lives.
Ask the animals, and they will teach you……. in Whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7, 10 (Holy Bible)”
Digging & sniffing with his best bud, Mac
Best buds soaking up the rays.
And the final chapter, it is not easy when a great little guy comes to the end of the road but we sometimes get lucky. We were able to get a very special lady, Maggie, a young female, from a retired breeder. She has moved in to fill that hole in the heart that Duff and Mac left. A healthy, happy little girl, she is looking forward to her second chance to play at earthdog.