My last entry

     This will be my last blog entry.  I’ve been having lots of medical problems for the last month.  I have a liver meant for a 10 pound dog and I’m a svelte 39 pounds.  It’s a wonder I didn’t have problems sooner. Maybe I did and didn’t know it.  The vet says it’s a form of hepatic encephalopathy.  My dad tried to me feed this morning, but I wasn’t hungry any more. Me, Belle the dog that inhaled her food!  My parent’s had to get me a special bowl to slow down my inhalation of food.  I wouldn’t take my medication or drink any water.  I couldn’t stand and was having tremors.

    As Stephen in Brave Heart said, “ he’s not right in the head”. That’s what I feel like.  I’m trying to fight it, I have to. I’m a stubborn Shiba Inu! But it’s not working anymore.

     Well, I had a very good run. Good parents when I lived in New Orleans, and a litter of pups that will carry on my Shiba Inu genes. My best friend Melanie took care of me at Bide-A-Wee when I was rescued from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. She made certain I got a great new family, which I did.

      I had an extraordinary time with my current family.  We celebrated  and enjoyed holidays and birthdays (especially mine) - loved those candles. Always liked the Jewish holidays (except Yom Kippur, I had to fast). I didn’t know I was Jewish. My favorite holiday is Hanukkah - 8 days of candles, potato latkes and donuts.  I even had my own canine shaped menorah.  One Hanukkah, I got my paws on the leftover box of donuts. Boy, were they good, except for the jelly ones, I left those for my parents.

      I’m a sous-chef. I assisted my mom whenever she cooked. One of my jobs was to keep the kitchen or camper floor clean.  I expertly get in the way whenever possible.

     On occasion I would spend time in my pied-a-terre on the upper eastside of Manhattan.  It’s a very nice co-op on the 30^th floor with a view of the East River. It was my Grandpa Moe’s until he passed away.  My brother Josh lives there.  Some times, Josh and Jin would hear my toes clicking on the exposed wood floor, as I sniffed around at night time.

     I’m a Met’s celebrity. I led the dogs around the outfield at “Bark in the Park” for 3 years. Once at Shea Stadium and the other two times at CitiField.  I like Shea better.

     I was involved in law enforcement when my dad was a deputy sheriff. When he was a tour commander at Family Court I would come by during his evening tour and help calm the deputies during their meal break.  I’d stay for a while and they want me to come with them on their assignment of arresting people.  My dad said I couldn’t because we didn’t have a canine equipped patrol car at Family Court.

     One of the spectacular things I did was going camping with my parents.  We had Airstream travel trailer. I had the whole back seat of the truck to myself.  My Ram truck (with the Cummin’s diesel) was much quieter than the Ford diesel we had.  The Ram even had a heated rear seat for me.  You didn’t know I was a diesel dog.

     I would go to rallies all over the country, made 3 WBCCI International Rallies, numerous Region rallies, and unit rallies. I went on the Cajun Caravan and my parent’s led American Revolutionary War Hudson Valley Caravan. I traveled all the way to Alaska, barked at bison on the Alcan Highway, got my paws dirty in the mud of the Teklanika River, and eat lots of salmon. 

     When camping I always enjoyed Happy Hour and campfires.  I helped to keep the Happy Hour area clean. When the other canine attendees would lie facing the camp fire, I would be facing out, keeping an eye on any unwanted 2 or 4 legged intruders.

     I have met a lot of canine friends on these trips. My daschund friends Bentley and Bailey  (I call them lunch and dinner), Misty (a rescue like me), Heidi (deceased), a silly weimaraner  who liked to stick her head in prairie dog holes. And my close friend and food begging partner Clancy.  My Tampa, FL  friends, Benji the Basenji, and Jazz, the crazy Labradoodle.  My cousin’s Max (deceased) Teddy and even Izzie the cat. My Aunt Ellen says that I was the smartest of the family canines. But of course! There are other canines that I have befriended in my numerous travels. I have forgotten their names but not their scents.

     My most favorite place back on Long Island is MY backyard. I fertilized it generously when home and keep out many squirrels, birds and especially possums.  You can take the girl out of Louisiana, but not Louisiana out of the girl.  I used to bark and growl at my great neighbor Sal, but he should know I always liked him. 

      I have a favorite place when I was down in Florida, the dog beach at Ft DeSoto Park.  Not that I went into the water. It’s such a lovely venue.  I was off my leash and allowed to roam the beach. I got my paws wet and it always felt good to have sand in my paws.  

    So that’s it. I will go to the Vet for the last time, I hope Dr Socci is there.  She took such good care of me. Being a girl, I prefer a female Vet. You girls know how it is.

     See you across the bridge some day ;-).  Not to soon I hope and DON’T forget to bring some Bully Sticks  for me and my friends.

Belle