IN LOVING MEMORY OF SPENCER
2004- Feb 7, 2007

Spencer went to the bridge when he was only three years old! So very young and with what we had hoped would be many more years to share with us. He was one year old (best guess) when he jumped out of Jackie's Jeep onto our driveway and into our hearts! The past two years have been so much fun- his antics were so cute. He would play ghost at the glass door when we were sitting on the patio. He would throw the serape we used for wiping dogs' feet over his head and prance around to get our attention. The neighbors (and we) loved him! I have been heart broken and unable to talk about him since his death. I truly thought I could make him well! But, I was unable, and I guess I was just so mad.

So much to say about his deteriorating health - He first started having seizures soon after we got him- one a month almost to the day. OK, one Phenobarbital twice daily- that's easy. I could do that. I can fix him. But then the seizures became more frequent and severe. Our vets tried other medications, including increasing the Phenobarbital , Potassium Bromide, and Keppra (which cost $400 for a month's supply! I didn't care, I was going to fix him!) He frequented their office for fluids, and the vet assistants loved him! He was treated like royalty- "a laugh a minute" some would say. Well, he would improve a little, and then get worse. Next, our vet decided we should try Chinese herbs and meds- plus cook special food for him! I got out the crock-pot every third day and cooked turkey, barley, kale, carrots, apples, pears, celery and the magic ingredient SEAWEED! He was given no dry food because according to our vet, that produces sugar which was creating heat in his body and brain, possibly resulting in seizures. I thought that maybe there was the real problem because his tongue and gums were a deep burgundy color, not pink, and his ears, nose and head were always so hot. OK, I can fix him now!!

Well, he did get better for a while. We were hoping he would be OK for our long awaited family trip (including all two and four legged members) to California- at times it was doubtful. But he went and truly enjoyed being constantly with us. I am so thankful he was with us. Then the seizures started occurring daily. Now the vet were beginning to believe it was a brain tumor- I believe that, too. The last night he had a seizure almost every hour. So the next day we went to a wonderful vet. With tears in our eyes (the vet’s too), Fred and I watched him go to sleep- no more suffering for our beautiful boy.


One of our favorite stories about Spencer happened just weeks before he left us.
Here’s how Fred remembers it unfolding…

It started as a quiet New Year’s Eve. Carol and I took the dogs for a walk in the
very nice dog park in the very exclusive RV “resort” in Texas. As I returned to the RV, “Sparky”, our Yorkie, started to be his usual self, tugging on the leash and turning around in circles, yapping to be first in line. The clip on the end of the leash had become hooked around his rear leg. Well, he started to scream like a stuck pig. I also had Spencer on the other leash and we were all trying to get into the RV. I put Spencer in and went back for Sparky who was really pitching a fit. I turned around just in time to see George (the black cat) scoot out the door and into the dark. Well, I had to go back into the RV and get Sparky unhooked because he was still screaming. I got him unhooked just as Carol came in to see why her ”precious” dog was making such a racket. Carol took inventory and asked, "Where is Spencer?” He had disappeared into the night somewhere in Texas. First, we had to find the black cat. That took about 10 minutes. I went back outside and started calling and whistling for Spencer. A faint voice in the dark asked, "Where are you?” When we finally located each other, the nice lady who also staying at the park asks, "Are you missing a Golden Retriever? He is at our site. He came running into our party, jumped up on the food table with both front paws, snatched a huge cheese ball and gobbled it up.”

The next day we were infamous. We couldn’t go outside in the park without people asking:
"Did you hear about THAT DOG LAST NIGHT? -or-
“IS THAT THE DOG THAT ATE THE CHEESE BALL?”
One man even remarked: “Yeah, I saw the whole thing. We were all enjoying our celebration, when that big dog jumped up on the table and ate the cheese ball in two gulps! “

Spencer left us a couple of weeks later in Grants Pass, Oregon. We were at the northern most point of our trip. It was a long, sad ride home to North Carolina. But we will always remember “New Years Eve, 2007”

He certainly was a gift from GRRRC and we will always think of him with a ‘cheesy’ smile. Thanks for two wonderful, wonderful years with Spencer!

Fondly,
Carol and Fred
 

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