For the past year, Ive had someone special in my life. Chinchin! Yes, thats an Italian toast but it is also the name of a very special shihtzu dog. Elderly and sick (over 10 years old), he was found on the side of a road -- bad eyes, bad ears, bad skin. He bonded with Freddy who brought him home from the 4PAWS dog shelter. After Freddy left (later to return for a total of 5 months or so), I happened to visit the shelter and Chinchin recognized me -- threading his way thru hundreds of dogs and looking up at me with big eyes, clearly saying Take me out of here! So I took him home. Thanks to the ministrations of Freddy and Barbara and a lot of hugs from me, he got over most of it...except age of course (like all of us). A few months ago, he developed a cough and was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat - an aging ticker. But still he was in many ways the perfect dog - very quiet except if someone arrived so a good doorbell, slept or pondered many hours under a bed out of the way, then would get excited about going for walks. He had been obviously trained to commands. And he was very good with cats! How many dogs would be well-behaved as the only dog in the midst of 100 cats? Wonderful Chinchin. Two days ago, we went out on his morning walk and met up with two huge dogs -- mastiffs maybe. Sniffing went fine, then suddenly the large black male lunged. He picked up little Chinchin in his mouth and shook him and the other joined in the battle. I get retinal flashes of that huge dog and the tiny shihtzu. Little old lady that I am these days, I swung hard with my pocketbook and loud screams and managed to get Chinchin back but he went limp in my arms - and I got a bad bite on my thumb. And cried and trembled. A phone call to my friend, neighbor and dog expert Barbara -- she rushed to my side, bringing Janet who immediately loaded me and the dog into her car and raced us to the vet. Chinchin began to come back a bit in the car, then was shaved at the vet to reveal puncture marks. At home, I thought a bit of rest would help -- usually he slept with me but I gave him the couch. Now I wish Id held him all nite. He was awake next day but only drank a bit of water and would not get up for a walk. In the afternoon, he whimpered and I thought it was just a bad dream. A nurse visited me and cats - and saw my thumb which had been patched by the vet but was getting infected and urged me to go a doctor. Late afternoon a caring friend came by and gave me a ride to the clinic in the next town where the nice Indian lady dr gave me a tetanus jab (shot in US), antibiotics, wrapped the thumb in an enormous casing. When I got home after dark, I could not find Chinchin. I looked out a window and saw him. He had crawled out on to the upstairs porch and gone out on the roof - a fragile tin roof -- too far to reach him. And given up -- perhaps his heart just gave out...My landlady Natasha told me animals do that -- go away to hide to die and so that their person is not upset. She guided teenager Yaya to climb out on the beams and pull the dog in with a blanket. Now that sweet kind friendly bright spirit has gone off to heaven, dancing on the rainbow bridge. I have many happy memories of his enthusiasm, especially when you asked him, Chinchin, go walking? He was a bright light -- and will be sorely missed, not just by me but by the many who knew him. Freddy, Nabeela, many Workawayers, friends and neighbors... Rest in Peace, dearest dog. Cheers, Chinchin!
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 14:04:55 +0000
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