Animal Tales - Duffy

     Next door to our friend, Marge Lee lived a family that raised Bedlington Terriers.  When Leah and I would go for a visit, if the dogs were out in their temporary pen, Leah never made it into the house, she just stood and petted and admired those little dogs.  In their show dog cut, they really look like a sheep.  Leah asked Kay, the breeder, how much they cost and I don't remember, but it was exorbitant.  
      In December, of 1994, Leah had her first stroke.  Looking back, we realize she had had TIAs several times previously and we didn't recognize what they were.  The stroke in December left her weak in her right arm.  I remember she had a little ball, she worked in her hand to give her strength.  When Kay heard about Leah's stroke, she offered us one of her pups, who was not a pure white and had small spots on his skin.  The only condition was that we have him neutered to keep the breed pure.  Because of his color, he was not a "good" dog.  Leah was thrilled and we believe that taking care of - she named him Duffy - helped her in her recovery.  We had him neutered and with shots, etc, Vern was heard to grumble:  "so much for a free dog!"
     Leah loved Duffy and Vern did too.  He was a nice little dog but he had some bad habits.  One he hated squirrels, and he would stand on his back legs looking out in the side yard and if he saw a squirrel, he would go ballistic until he could get outside to chase it away.  He also loved to go down into the woods , and would come back filled with cockle burrs and most evenings, Vern or Leah would sit pulling burrs out of his fur.  His fur was very similar to a poodles.  And he didn't like me. Never mind that I was the one who saw that his water bowl and food bowl was washed and filled, he wanted nothing to do with me.  So help me, if he went outside to do his business, when he scratched on the door to come in, if I opened the door, he would stand for one second, right front paw raised as if he was going to step over the threshold and then turn and run away.  After this happened a couple of times, I would say - in probably not the friendliest tones:  "Get your ass in here!", if he still ran away - which he often did, I would tell Vern or Leah to answer the door and he would come right in, bouncing in like it was the first time he had scratched on the door.
     When Leah had a more massive stroke in April of 1995, she had a trach tube and feeding tube put in and she got a terrible infection.  She was in the hospital several weeks and then she went to Rosewood Nursing home behind ICC.  
      We asked permission of the nurses at OSF, if we could bring Duffy into the hospital to visit Leah and they agreed to Sunday nights after 8:00 p.m.  We would bring him in the back entrance and up on the elevator.  He would come into Leah's room, and  greet her, smell her and lay down beside her so she could pet him.  I swear that every nurse on that side of the hospital found an excuse to come into Leah's room to pet Duffy.  When she was transferred to Rosewood, because of the infection she was in a private room and when we would visit often we took Duffy along.  As we walked down the hall to Leah's room, residents in wheel chairs would reach out to touch and pet Duffy as we walked by and he was very patient with them.  When we would get to Leah's room, once more he would jump up on her bed, lick her face and lay down on the bed beside her.
     When Leah died, Duffy became Vern's dog.  Vern had been raised with animals his whole life, and he loved this little dog, partly because he had been Leah's but Duffy loved him as well.    Many nights, Vern would sit in his recliner, watching TV with Duffy on his lap.  And if we were on the porch, Vern would whisper "squirrel"  and the dog would take off  calling and sliding to get down and chase.
     My sister Judy and her daughter Michelle found a little stuffed dog that looked just like Duffy.  They brought it to Leah in the hospital and it was buried with her in her casket.  Someone gave us another one, that I kept on her bed.
      One year we went up to Wisconsin to see our Benway grandchildren in a Christmas pageant.  Joel led Duffy in on a leash as the one and only sheep in the performance.  He got to the altar and laid down by the manger and watched the proceedings.  He never moved.  When Vern and I traveled, Duffy went to Wisconsin on vacation.  The Benway family loved having him..

       When Vern died in 2008, I told Lora that Duffy was theirs and they gladly welcomed him into their home.  By this time he was getting older and when they brought him back with them when I moved to this house in Peoria, all the daughters went out one evening and Duffy was at the house with me.  He was outside quite awhile and I went out looking for him.  We had dug a huge hole for a new septic tank and I was afraid he might fall in.  I found him walking along the pine trees on the east side of the house.  I don't think he realized where he was, it was dark and it had been awhile since he had been there.  I called to him but his hearing was going and it was only when I was right next to him did he see me and he gladly followed me into the house - for the first time, I might add - and laid down on his bed and slept.
        He died shortly thereafter and Randy and Lora had him cremated and when they came down one time we sprinkled his ashes over Vern and Leah's gravesite.  There he rests with his two good friends.


      As I write this, I am crying.  I don't know if it's reaction from the Chemo, for this last pet in our family or for the two family members that I loved and are gone.  And oh my gosh, so help me - believe it or not - a squirrel just walked across the telephone line in the back.  
                                        Animal Tales...The end