Ardie's Story

I met Ardie, a German Sheppard and Shar Pei mix, on the side of a highway on January 6, 2004. Ardie (then RD for rescued dog) had been hit by a car and was left for dead on the side of the road.

When I first drove by, I thought Ardie was dead because he was stretched out -- but then he moved his head. I called animal control to report a severely injured dog on the side of the road, and with the temperatures hoovering around the freezing mark, I knew he would not live long outside with his injuries. That evening when I drove home, Ardie was still there.

When I called animal control again, I was told he was issued a 'pickup' number and since there was only one person on duty, to expect Ardie to remain outside again for another night.

The next morning, as I approached Ardie, I was afraid he would be dead. But once again as my car approached, he lifted his head. I could not leave him there again, so I pulled over, backed up the car until I was close enough to Ardie to see if I could get him into my car.

Ardie seemed relieved that someone stopped to help him. Ironically, someone had also stopped by at some point to leave him a bowl containing water, which he could not reach. Ardie was a very large and heavy dog, and concerned for his leg injury and skull injury, I was worried about moving him to my car. Just then a very nice lady wearing military BDU's pulled over and asked if I could use her help. Thanks to her assistance, we were able to get Ardie into the backseat of my car. It turns out, the lady also saw Ardie the day before and was planning on taking him home too that evening if no one came by to pick him up!

Well, Ardie met three of his vets that day, as they tried to save his front right leg. His skull had indention where he was hit by a car, but there did not appear to be any brain damage. I was told Ardie was about 8-10 years old that that his expected life expectancy would not be much more than a year or two. So the question was -- should the vet amputate his injured leg, attempt to heal the damaged leg, or put him down due to his advanced age.

No question about it--Ardie was to live! When I first brought Ardie in, I did not know what to call him, so his chart was labeled RD for rescue dog. The name stuck and Ardie began his second life with me and my pet family.

I normally do not talk much about my pet family as I believe my family life should be kept separate from the animal case. The only reason why I am writing about Ardie today is because yesterday Ardie joined Jesus in Heaven.

Let me tell you some more about Ardie. Ardie lived with my family for almost six years to the day. The vets tried very hard to save Ardie's leg, but sadly it had to be removed one month after Ardie's rescue from the highway. Ardie was the most amazing dog with three legs. He ran, he climbed, and loved to go on long walks in the country. He smiled a lot, but he didn't like his picture taken--who knew a dog with three legs could run so fast from a camera?

Ardie was not much for hugs, brushings, and petting. He just liked to be in the same room where I was--I especially remember him sleeping near my chair as I worked for hours on the computer, typing up letters to the OAG or USDA, investigating a lead on the Internet, or updating my blog. Ardie was always laying within arms length of me.

The hardest decision I had to make was whether or not to have Ardie put to sleep. For the last three months, Ardie stopped smiling. He could barely walk. He had trouble eating and drinking water. And three days ago, one of his bed sores split open and exposed his tail bone.

That is when I knew it was time for Ardie to go to Jesus in Heaven. It broke my heart to make that decision because Ardie still loved eating his treats. He still responded to my voice and I knew he was struggling to hang on for me. I didn't want to let him go, but I knew in my heart my reasons for letting him hold on like this was for me and not for him.

One of the vets that performed surgery on Ardie was in attendance yesterday and he was most kind to both of us. I think Ardie knew this was his last time on Earth for he did not struggle or attempt to move away from the vet or the vet techs. Everyone loved Ardie at the clinic and were sad to see Ardie go.

Ardie had a profound affect on the other members of the family. On Ardie's last evening, the cats took turns watching over him. He was the most gentle dog and he was loved by the cats. One particular cat, Twiggy, loved to rub up against Ardie in affection. She would follow Ardie throughout the house, rubbing around his front leg and chest. I don't know very many dogs that would tolerate this behavior, but I think secretly Ardie loved the attention from Twiggy.

As Ardie was leaving me to join Jesus in Heaven, I let him know that he was loved, he was the best dog ever, that I would see him again in Heaven, where he would have a perfect body, with four legs and he would be pain-free. I knew before the vet told me he was gone because I felt him go right through me--he was no longer in the room -- he was gone.

I will never forget Ardie--he was the perfect example of perseverance--he was determined to run and play with his doggy brothers. He never wanted to be left behind so he worked doubly hard to keep up with us when we went for walks. He loved nature. He loved horses and cows. He loved meeting new dogs on our walks. He loved life. He will be missed by many--especially by me until that day we meet up once again. I love you, Ardie! God Bless You, my good boy. You were and always will be the best dog ever!

Monday:

I have the best vets and staff ever. Today, they sent me flowers at work my work in memory of Ardie. I also received a card saying they too will miss Ardie. Both meant a lot to me. Ardie truly was loved by all.