Sunday, December 29, 2013
We first met Bilbo the day we picked him up at a gas station parking lot near Sparta, Kentucky. The couple who had his parents brought him to us, and he was a sad sight to see. He was limping, with his right leg turned inward, and his small belly was swelled with a worm infestation. This puppy was decidedly NOT the puppy my husband had met earlier that week, but we knew if we did not take him, the sweet-faced, butterscotch brown-and-white baby would not be long for this world.
And so, I wrapped him in beach blanket and we started home, stopping at a local vet's first to have him checked over. We were told that he had rickets due to an iron deficiency, and that he had several kinds of worms. For the first few days, because I was afraid he would not make it, we did not name our new puppy. Finally, as he responded to the medicines and supplements, good food, and lots and lots of love, he became a furry little handful!
We decided to name him Bilbo Baggins—and the name fit, because all through his life, Bilbo, like his namesake from The Hobbit, was a thief! He stole socks—and sometimes ate them—he stole items from the grocery bags and snuck off with them, he discovered any presents we had for him and would try to skulk away with them—this behavior was so endearing, all we could do was laugh.
Though Bilbo struggled with separation anxiety for most of his life, we soon discovered that he could NOT be crated or caged in our absence. Once we gave him the run of the upstairs, he seemed to be OK. When we returned home, true to his Jack Russell roots, he would jump straight up and lick us on the lips! And then, he would tear off in search of toys so we could play with him! Throughout his life, Bilbo never tired of playing, and tried to have a go at his toys even during his last days.
He absolutely LOVED to open presents, which we discovered during his first Christmas and birthday celebrations! Bilbo also adored going on walks with us—and especially loved it when Matt would let his leash drop and allow Bilbo to range freely in a small wooded area near our home. He also loved ice cream, cheese, sleeping with us, and barking and growling at the mail, garbage, recycling, and Fed Ex folks who entered his domain. And yet, if he was outside and saw the mail truck approach, he would run to the door, waiting to be let in so he could jump up on his "comfy couch" in my office and bark his head off! He was not one for direct confrontation!
Throughout the course of his thirteen years with us, Bilbo suffered from ill health which included a nearly fatal brush with kidney failure when he was five (as a result of anesthesia and pain meds), gastro-intestinal issues, back pain and arthritis, and many other ailments. Despite these issues, Bilbo remained a joy to be around, always greeting us with love, licks, and a wagging tail! Because he was a family member, NOT just a pet, we did everything we could for him to make him comfortable as he aged. Truly, he was the center of our lives, and everything we did always held him and his welfare in mind.
For Bilbo, and for us, 2013 has NOT been a good year. His sight and hearing began to fade, and his separation anxiety was worse than it ever had been. His back pain and arthritis caused him difficulties, and we could no longer take him on the walks he loved so much. He did enjoy being in the yard with us during good weather, and would bite at the hose water and steal flower pots while I was planting blooms in the spring! Over the past year, though, Bilbo began to slow down, which was difficult for him, and for us. Finally, we learned that he had a tumor on his spleen which, due to his other issues, was inoperable. Working with his veterinarians, we did everything we could to make him comfortable during his last illness.
On December 26, we lost a piece of our hearts. Bilbo Baggins Mueller—that great and gentle soul whose unyielding and unconditional love had given us such joy for 13 years, had passed on to the next plane of existence—where his age, his pain, his acute separation anxiety, his reduced sight and hearing, and the tumor that took his life--will no longer trouble him. First and foremost, when I think of him, I will think of him with deep gratitude—for his heartfulness, his selflessness, his unbridled joy when embracing and TRULY LIVING in the moment. In addition to being a beloved family member, in many ways, he has been one of the best teachers I have ever known. By his very nature, Bilbo provided us with an untarnished example of how to love without boundaries, how to be open to every experience, how to embrace and overcome our shortcomings, and how to forgive any transgressions…Bilbo lived with great energy and abundance of spirit, and his absence from our lives will remain a deep and unfillable hole of grief—while we will always treasure our memories with him, and keep him in our hearts, thoughts, minds, and prayers as long as we live. Bilbo's loss will be deeply mourned and keenly felt—until we are reunited with him again…
