Roxie was special, and she was sick with a strange disorder that made it nearly impossible for her to do the only thing she was just crazy to do, chase things. She couldn't run if it was over 55 or 60 degrees, so after a brief and amazing career competing in lure coursing, she ran with me, after the frisbee, everywhere and anywhere we could find that was cool and dry, even under the headlights of my car, fast and graceful and quick as ever at least 3 or 4 times a week for the 3.5 years she lived after she manifested the disease, Exercise Induced Hyperthermia, or perhaps a version of collapse, her dna and others remain under study at the University of Minnesota. We had a language, and we did a bit of agility for fun, and she almost gained her rally title, but she was not able to do that thing she loved so much, run full out for long distances, wanting to be faster and go farther than all the other dogs. She tried, but her last summer all her systems began to falter and freeze up until we had to give up, I had to give up I should say, as she did not want to at all, despite the pain, she was more courageous than I will ever be.
No comments:
Post a Comment