In the Spring of 1996, Rebecca and I walked into a house in Atlanta looking for a dog. There were only two left in the litter, a very handsome boy and a goofy looking girl. We had intended to only get one dog, but I decided on the spot that we needed to take them both home. Rebecca was not too sure; our friend John Brennan was with us at the time and I remember asking him if he thought it was a good idea to get them both. John just laughed and said that he was keeping his mouth shut. If we were going to take one, we probably would have taken the boy, leaving the little runt behind, but she was so full of personality and love that I just couldn't leave her. We took them both home that day.
15 years later I can say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Copper and Lucy on the porch at our Atlanta Home
From that day on it was Eric, Rebecca, Copper and Lucy. It was rare that we ever left them behind and only once did we ever seperate them for any length of time. They were great companions to each other and the very best companions to Rebecca and me.
Copper and Lucy at a kayak race on the Nantahala
We kind of assumed that Basset Hounds would just lay around a lot, and they did; but as we started taking them on adventures we realized that they were happiest going wherever we went. So we took them on adventures over mountains...
Through the snow...
Down rivers...
Even through the desert...
And they loved every minute of it.
Even though Lucy was the runt, she was always the one right behind us. No matter what obstacles were in the way of her short little legs, her enormous heart kept her going.
The only thing she needed was a warm place to curl up at night...
And someone to love on her every now and then...
She loved creek crossings as long as they were not too deep for her short legs...
And she never complained about anything. Ever. Not even when we dressed her up in embarrassing outfits...
She was the toughest little girl I've ever seen.
She was very independent; happy to spend time off somewhere on here own. You never doubted her love and loyalty, though, and when she was with you it was special...
We used to play hide and seek with them; it was one of their favorite games. One of us would hold them while the other ran around in the woods and hid. They would stay right on your trail the entire time and find you. If there was ever a moment of confusion, Lucy was the smart one and she would usually figure it out first.
She loved grass and flowers. I can only imagine what it smelled like to her little Basset Hound nose.
She had a wonderful life, full of exploration, companionship and love.
She certainly made every single day better for us and we will remember her with love and smiles always.
Now she is on to her next great adventure. Adventure on little goose; you were the best little girl ever.
1 comment:
Great tribute to your pet, we lost our 15 year old lab last summer.
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