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featured story: EDDIE & ME
Eddie and Me
Have you ever loved someone or something so hard that you literally thought your heart would burst? That’s how I would describe the love that I felt for my furry child, Eddie. Unfortunately, we lost our beloved “puppy” to cancer, just shy of his 12th anniversary as a member of the Schulte family.
He was the most beautiful caramel colored cocker spaniel you’d ever meet. Gorgeous brown eyes. Curly, floppy ears. Handsome snout. He was very athletic in his prime – we always said he could have been an Olympic jumper. Although he suffered from occasional back spasms and spinal issues, he continued to overcome all obstacles in his way. His favorite spot was our bay window; it was the perfect place to sit and soak up the morning sun and to watch the activity on our street. When the vet said that jumping could paralyze him, my engineer husband went to work, figuring out ways to create an Eddie-proof barrier. Plastic totes, golf bags, boxes – you name it; nothing was a match for our determined pup.
Like the dog in the movie, "Marley and Me", Eddie was a clearance puppy. Not sure why he remained in the pet shop while others found forever homes. As I’ve already mentioned, he was gorgeous. Maybe it was because he was a jumper and a barker. He also had some anxiety issues. He was offered Prozac but I didn’t want to tame the precocious, exuberant side that I loved so much. It was worth a few barks at the UPS or FedEx truck. I like to think of all of these traits as “spunk” - our Eddie definitely had “personality plus!”
Here are a few more traits that made our Eddie oh so special.
He was a gentleman. He always knew his place. He would wait at the top of the stairs for me to start down first, then he would run alongside me to the bottom and make sure that I landed safely.
He was a cuddler. I work from home, and often sit on the couch. He would sit so close alongside me that his paws would occasionally hit a key on my laptop and there is still fur in my keyboard.
He was a nurturer. When I was recovering from knee replacement surgery, he never left my side. Which had its share of challenges – he insisted on lying on my lap and he walked underfoot, in the middle of my walker.
He was a fearless protector. I never had to worry about FedEx, the mailman or the neighborhood labradoodle – he made sure that these “intruders” were run off our property – all from the safety of our bay window. When he was in the window, he was fearless! He would hurl himself at the glass, barking and shaking his head while holding on to his beloved rubber tennis ball.
He was a little crazy. He loved to pull our used bath towels down off the towel bar and roll around in them. Then he would do what we called a “freeze frame” – where he would lay motionless for a few seconds.
He was my sweet, sweet boy and tireless companion. And I miss him terribly. As we said goodbye last week, I thought a lot about the movie, “Marley and Me.” I think this quote captures my experience with my beloved clearance pup.
“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley (Eddie) taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.”
Eddie. You were a great dog.
In closing, there are so many animals in need of forever homes. On August 17th the ASPCA Adoption Center will be welcoming guests to celebrate their fifth annual Clear the Shelters adoption event. Click on the link for more information.
https://www.aspca.org/news/join-us-our-clear-shelters-2019-adoption-event
The Animal Protective League is another great organization that helps to place animals with loving owners. My son and his fiancée have expanded their family through the APL, and I am looking to make donations in Eddie’s name to help other animals in need.
https://clevelandapl.org/donate/
Have you ever loved someone or something so hard that you literally thought your heart would burst? That’s how I would describe the love that I felt for my furry child, Eddie. Unfortunately, we lost our beloved “puppy” to cancer, just shy of his 12th anniversary as a member of the Schulte family.
He was the most beautiful caramel colored cocker spaniel you’d ever meet. Gorgeous brown eyes. Curly, floppy ears. Handsome snout. He was very athletic in his prime – we always said he could have been an Olympic jumper. Although he suffered from occasional back spasms and spinal issues, he continued to overcome all obstacles in his way. His favorite spot was our bay window; it was the perfect place to sit and soak up the morning sun and to watch the activity on our street. When the vet said that jumping could paralyze him, my engineer husband went to work, figuring out ways to create an Eddie-proof barrier. Plastic totes, golf bags, boxes – you name it; nothing was a match for our determined pup.
Like the dog in the movie, "Marley and Me", Eddie was a clearance puppy. Not sure why he remained in the pet shop while others found forever homes. As I’ve already mentioned, he was gorgeous. Maybe it was because he was a jumper and a barker. He also had some anxiety issues. He was offered Prozac but I didn’t want to tame the precocious, exuberant side that I loved so much. It was worth a few barks at the UPS or FedEx truck. I like to think of all of these traits as “spunk” - our Eddie definitely had “personality plus!”
Here are a few more traits that made our Eddie oh so special.
He was a gentleman. He always knew his place. He would wait at the top of the stairs for me to start down first, then he would run alongside me to the bottom and make sure that I landed safely.
He was a cuddler. I work from home, and often sit on the couch. He would sit so close alongside me that his paws would occasionally hit a key on my laptop and there is still fur in my keyboard.
He was a nurturer. When I was recovering from knee replacement surgery, he never left my side. Which had its share of challenges – he insisted on lying on my lap and he walked underfoot, in the middle of my walker.
He was a fearless protector. I never had to worry about FedEx, the mailman or the neighborhood labradoodle – he made sure that these “intruders” were run off our property – all from the safety of our bay window. When he was in the window, he was fearless! He would hurl himself at the glass, barking and shaking his head while holding on to his beloved rubber tennis ball.
He was a little crazy. He loved to pull our used bath towels down off the towel bar and roll around in them. Then he would do what we called a “freeze frame” – where he would lay motionless for a few seconds.
He was my sweet, sweet boy and tireless companion. And I miss him terribly. As we said goodbye last week, I thought a lot about the movie, “Marley and Me.” I think this quote captures my experience with my beloved clearance pup.
“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley (Eddie) taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.”
Eddie. You were a great dog.
In closing, there are so many animals in need of forever homes. On August 17th the ASPCA Adoption Center will be welcoming guests to celebrate their fifth annual Clear the Shelters adoption event. Click on the link for more information.
https://www.aspca.org/news/join-us-our-clear-shelters-2019-adoption-event
The Animal Protective League is another great organization that helps to place animals with loving owners. My son and his fiancée have expanded their family through the APL, and I am looking to make donations in Eddie’s name to help other animals in need.
https://clevelandapl.org/donate/