Homecoming….

Thank you for tolerating one more piece about the yellow dog. We will heal, one day, but the loss of Tazzy is still fresh, more as a result of the circumstances as the death itself.

We had arranged for Tazzy to be delivered by our mail lady, a sweet woman who always had a treat for him. In exchange for the treat, she would hand him a piece of junk mail and he would proudly hurry to one of us with the mail, tail wagging and very pleased with himself for doing what Labs do. She alerted the Post Office that if Tazzy showed up, and she was off duty, she was to be called in or Tazzy secured until she could deliver him to us personally. She wanted the yellow dog to ride up front with her as she was captivated by him, referring to him as “her baby”.

Instead of the US Mail, the folks who handled Tazzy decided to send him via UPS. Tazzy was unceremoniously delivered by a UPS guy who left him on the front porch, unbeknownst to us until late in the day. We discovered him yesterday evening and brought him in, unboxed him and apologized for missing his last ride with the mail carrier, as promised.

It is not unusual for medical procedures to fail in delivering the desired result. Tazzy, carefully protected from the hard side of life, spent his last week in a cold medical crate at MU rather than with “his people”. The surgery and anesthesia exacted the ultimate price and he died in our arms suffering from diffused pneumonia that did not respond to treatment.

I have been around death in its many forms from tragic to peaceful. Long ago, an older physician assured me there is no dignity in death, even under carefully controlled circumstances. You would think these experiences would have prepared me for the end of Tazzy’s life. Not so.

Our previous labs are all home with us, and my daughter is to place a bit of their ashes in the vessels that convey us to eternity. Our family will again be together, enjoying the life we knew and loved.

Only if you understand the contribution to human existence that a dog can deliver, will you understand the depth of our loss.

We have this Tazzy, forever.

SR