Wiggles
We adopted three dogs from Ontario through ElderDog. They came to us right at the start of the COVID lockdown. Wiggles was a Miniature Dachshund but had the growl and personality of a bear. They all settled in as if they had always lived with us. Tinkerbell was the matriarch but unfortunately she passed that November from cancer. That’s the same month Wiggles took over as boss.
Wiggles had a fiery temper and would snap and growl at anyone who approached. He had a mouthful of rotten teeth so Wiggles and Whiskey had to have their teeth removed. We changed to soft food but Wiggles wanted his kibble and, teeth or no teeth, he ate them. Wiggles and Whisky slept with us and loved their walks and the daily massages along with reiki and T-touch. We were so in love with them. Almost every full moon Wiggles would show his true colours. He would growl if he was moved or touched and would actually fight with Whiskey who was three times his size. He would bury himself under the bed covers and softly growl the whole day. I could pick him up and talk to him in whispers and hug and kiss him until he let it all out.
Our son, Todd, adopted Buddy through the ElderDog Pawd in Vancouver. They moved back to Halifax at Christmas 2020 and we bought a house on a lake in Timberlea. Buddy had lived on the streets so we were a little concerned over the dynamics of the dogs. The first meeting was all it took. Wiggles stood guard over his food bowl and, when he growled, Buddy the big black Lab ran to the recliner.
This October 15, Wiggles swallowed a rock. He used to lick them. He was not eating or drinking and the vet removed it but, before they finished, they found a mass on his intestines and removed that. Wiggles was brought to the Emergency Centre to continue his treatment and we visited him every day for four days. On the day he was due to come home he took a turn for the worse. He had sepsis and was quite sick. With broken hearts, we held him and sobbed over him while he was passing us to go to the Rainbow Bridge.
We loved this little guy and miss him terribly. The whole house is sad without him. We know we gave him love and spoiled him while he was with us. It’s just never enough time. Whiskey is still going through the process and, because of the floods, we have been moving every few months. Hopefully, we will be back home soon and perhaps back to something near normal. It’s hard to believe that this little bit of fur took the biggest piece of our hearts when he left.