A Sad Day At The Zoo

The Domestic Zoo is two wagging tails fewer today.

Emian and Sorina passed away this afternoon. We blame ourselves for rushing them out into being outdoor dogs for a day. We tied them down outside (the fence was still too high from the ground for our fearless diggers), and gave them plenty of water. Everything would have been fine, if the fiesty knuckleheads hadn't wrapped up their 'tangle-resistant' leads around the post so they couldn't get to the water. They died of heat stroke, but I'm told they looked very peaceful, as if they had just laid down and went to sleep.

My favorite memory: I was sitting at the computer at home, and my husband had just bathed the pups and brought them down to explore the house. I picked up Emian and held her upside down, like a baby. She was very comfortable and never moved a muscle. I sat there, staring at the monitor, with her in my arms, and then I felt myself fall asleep. I slept in that computer chair for probably 20 min. Emian never moved a muscle. My husband looked at us, and Emian gave him a look as if to say: "It wasn't me. I don't know what made her pass out, but I'm not going to move." And she never did. Never made a sound, just let me hold her.

About the girls: Despite their short hair, they were always super soft to the touch. They loved any and all attention. Emian was the most well-behaved, and more submissive than Sorina, who was just an attention hog and always wanted to put her nose in your hand. Emian was the better runner, fast, and agile. She could turn on a dime and trip up the chasing Sorina at will. Sorina, on the other hand, was a better wrestler, and when she did manage to catch Emian, she took her down like a street brawler. They both loved trying to walk each other by grabbing the other's collar and pulling. They also loved the game of keep-away from each other. Anything would do - a bone, a stick, a piece of fencing. They were exploratory diggers. Sorina always wanted to stay in the house to be near us, and would come to me whenever I called. Emian always wanted to play, and wanted me to chase her outside. The roles were reversed for my husband. We were just learning how to get the other one in. They didn't like the rain or showers, but they didn't mind them much. They were very accepting of being bathed, and would go potty out in the pouring rain with only a few complaints. Their tails were like small whips. Had they grown to full adulthood, they would have been dangerous weapons, and they could wag at a mile an hour. Their chests were growing broader (boxer), and their legs were growing longer and leaner (pointer). They were probably about two feet tall from head to toe - and still growing.

I came home to find my husband in the back yard filling in the hole. We called my parents and let them know. Then we went upstairs to the shower and had a good cry. Ok, I'm still in tears. I haven't had time yet to figure out what to do with all their food and toys. The cats have assumed one toy, a water dish, and their bed already.

To look on the bright side of this tradgedy, I try to comfort myself in knowing that we at least gave them a better chance at life than they would have had if we had not taken them in.

In the mail today, there was a postcard notifying me of their next round of puppy shots due in a week or two. They hadn't even been fixed yet. I was planning on taking them for a treat this Sunday to the Millie Bush Bark Park to make some new friends.

You'll be missed, Emian and Sorina. May you wrestle and run together and inhale all the food you want in the great doggy park in the sky.

Emian - Sorina
Boxer / Pointer Sisters
Domestic Zoo Residents
June 25, 2006 - August 25, 2006