Strawbale Adventures: Schultz -- 5/2000

Sleeping at the foot of the bed.

His favorite thing was to pull the stuffing out of toys.

My beloved Schultz is gone.

I am so incredibly sad that he had to leave me. But it was time for him to go. Cancer... that insidious thief of our loved ones.

The boy with the bad knees and the painful back developed a respiratory problem and he finally gave me that look that said he was ready. He had so many problems within the last year. His happiness had waned. On Tuesday, I knelt beside him and tried to comfort him as he moaned. So I made the appointment for the following morning.

Thankfully, Les finally returned home from California Tuesday night.

Schultz and Cubby -- on Cubby's last day

Early Wednesday morning we arrived at the vet's office. It was decided to keep Schultz in the Jeep as I wanted to have his body cremated and we had to take him to Pueblo for that. I crawled into the Jeep and Schultz was so scared. The vet gave him a shot to calm him and I held his beautiful head in my lap until he went to sleep. Then, the vet gave him the final shot. Within moments he took his last gasp for air and then he was gone. I felt like I betrayed him.

After several minutes I climbed out of the back of the Jeep and sat in the passenger seat. Just as we were pulling out of the parking spot I physically felt a thump on my heart and I heard in my head, "I'm OK." I swear that this is the truth. My boy passed through my heart on his way to his next life. There, I know I will see him again and he will again be my companion and my friend. And saying goodbye to me in that manner was the greatest gift he could have ever given me.