2008 turned out to be a rough year for me on many fronts; however, nothing was as hard as having to put down both of my four legged friends within a span of just over 8 months. Sheba, my 16 year old Black Mouth Cur Hound mix had been with me since my college days back in 1994. Her old body finally gave out on her and I sent her to the Bridge on February 18th. Little did I know the pain would repeat itself in October when Max, my Belgian Malinois, stopped eating and became suddenly ill. Turns out his body was ravaged with cancer - and it was too late to do anything about it. At 10 years old, it was questionable if it would have been worth it even if we'd caught it early enough (and he'd checked out fine at his June vet appointment), but with the cancer everywhere in his chest cavity and all around his digestive organs, the only choice was to send him to the Bridge as well. That happened on October 8, and the thing that made it even more difficult was that I was out of town on business during that. My folks had to take care of everything for me, including bearing the sad duty of having to tell him goodbye.
Needless to say, the loss of a pet is one of the most painful and heart-wrenching ordeals pet owners and animal lovers have to endure. It has been said that tears are the price you pay for the unconditional love of an animal, and I paid dearly when both Sheba and Max were euthanized. However, even through the pain, I knew that my life would be empty without the companionship provided by animals, and in my case, dogs in particular. My family was never without at least one dog the entire time I was growing up, and as I reached adulthood I knew I would always have them around. I didn’t realize it would hurt so bad having to say goodbye, but not even the pain could keep me from getting another companion or two.
My original plan was to get another companion for Max and I. I had seriously been considering getting another Malinois or a German Shepherd, because they’re simply amazing dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Sheba, but the Cur stubbornness was extremely strong with her. Max wanted nothing more to than to please me, and he did it all the time. By far, he’s the best dog I’ve ever had. When Max died, and once the wound of his death began to heal, I really began to consider multiple options. I did some research on multiple different breeds that might be a good fit for me, my lifestyle, and where I live. I love big dogs (small ones are OK, too, but I prefer big dogs), so I knew nothing smaller than a lab would do. I researched the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog – I've heard great things about them and I really like the way they look, but they wouldn’t do too well in the Houston heat and humidity. I researched the Bouvier des Flanders because they're pretty cool looking and not very common, but they’re extremely energetic and require constant exercise. Not that the exercise wouldn’t help me – it would – but I didn’t think I’d be able to devote the time necessary to properly train and exercise that breed of dog. I also considered the Great Pyrenees and the Newfoundland, but like the Greater Swiss, their coats aren’t well suited for this climate.
Then I remembered a breed that I’ve always been interested in – and always wanted because of their size, disposition, and regal nature: The Great Dane. There was one that lived down the street from us in Odessa (and she made a snack out of more than one thawing pound of ground meat mom used to place on the fence in front of the house) and I always remembered just loving that dog. She was huge, but so sweet and gentle. So I figured, “Now’s the perfect time. I don’t have any other dogs right now. I’ve got the space, both indoors and outdoors, for them. I can afford to feed and care for them, and their really short coats make them ideal for the Houston heat and humidity. While they do need exercise just like any other dog, they don’t require a whole lot once they reach adulthood. So why not?”
I’m a big proponent of rescues rather than acquiring dogs as puppies. There are so many good dogs available out there that I just don’t see the need to start with a puppy unless that’s something you’ve always wanted. Sheba and Max were both rescues: Sheba I got from the Lubbock County Animal Shelter, and I got Max from the Houston SPCA. So I thought I’d look around and see if I could rescue a Great Dane or two. Turns out, that isn’t necessarily as easy as you might think - at least in this area. While Danes aren’t necessarily uncommon, they’re not as common as other dogs. Very rarely do you find one in a regular shelter – you have to go to a breed-specific rescue to find them. After much searching – and much surprise - I learned that there is not one in the Greater Houston area. The closest rescues are in Austin, San Antonio and the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I actually found a pair of female Danes in the San Antonio area that I was interested in. I was in the process of filling out the paperwork one Friday to contact them and make arrangements to take them when I got a call.
Before the Christmas holidays, the McHaneys – our friends from Odessa – were down visiting their daughter and her family. We got together with them and the conversation turned to dogs. They asked where Max was, and I told them the story. I mentioned that I really thought my next companions would be Great Danes, and Reba mentioned that some friends of theirs in Odessa had one they were thinking about giving up. Well, long story short, it appeared that they had probably changed their minds, which led me to almost inquire about the two in San Antonio. On Friday January 9, Reba calls me out of the blue and said that their friends had changed their minds and asked if I was still interested. I was, as I hadn’t contacted the rescue organization yet.
It was extremely fortuitous that my folks also happened to be in Lubbock that weekend for my niece’s birthday. In short, they were willing and able to reroute their return trip to include a stop in Odessa to pick up Dizzie. With everything arranged and agreed upon, my first Great Dane was on her way home.
By the way, I want to thank Reba McHaney for playing the middleman, and I also want to thank the Minyards for the opportunity to take Dizzie. She's got a great home here and will have a great life (and lifestyle), so hopefully that will help lessen the pain of having to say goodbye to a cherished friend.