01/07/2019: Anatar's Pretty Boy Floyd: 03/27/06 - 01/07/19. I haven’t written about this until today, you see, Floyd wasn’t just mine, he was Jim and Melissa Tanner’s, his first owners. Floyd was also Jennifer Donnelly-Schoffstall’s, she was his breeder. I sent all three messages and I waited until they all knew before I told everyone else that I said goodbye to Floyd on Monday, January 7, 2019. For the past year, Floyd had been having mini seizures, Jim, Melissa and Jennifer were aware of this. I used numerous modalities to treat them, they were not often and they didn’t last long. One wouldn’t even really know he was seizing, it was trembling in his head that occurred. He also began having trouble getting up and though I could help him up, I couldn’t ‘pick’ him up. On Monday, 01/07/19 he went down pooping … I knew … Floyd had the most beautiful smile, it lit up his whole face .. especially his eyes, but his smile was just gone. My neighbor Josh, dropped what he was doing to come early and dig Floyd’s grave so he could be buried here at home. I called my vet of 45+ years. He was sick with a head cold and not planning to work that day, but … he met me at the clinic parking lot! Floyd didn’t even have to go in the clinic. He was just ready.
There are way too many things that I loved about Floyd to name them all here. He was one of the most beautifully correct Berners that I’ve owned in my 32 years in the breed. He did not put a foot down wrong, I was always amazed watching him move.
Floyd was 3 months shy of 7 years old when he came to live with me. I retired from working about 7 months after that and Floyd and his housemate, Fiona and I did absolutely EVERYTHING together. I like to call it ‘double time’ with them. Instead of Floyd living with me 6 years, I clearly count it as 12!! He would have been 13 on ‘our’ birthday, March 27.
One of the things I truly loved about Floyd was that he had a really soft snore. I know, people hate it when someone snores, but Floyd’s snore was so soothing. Over the past several months, I’ve run a fan in my bedroom to keep Floyd cool. I couldn’t hear his snore over the sound of the fan. But when I took him to have him put to sleep, my wonderful vet came out to my SUV, so Floyd didn’t have to go inside. This has happened several times before with my other Berners and Dr. Smith. My current SUV even has a 110 power outlet in the back so he could use his clippers to shave Floyd’s vein area. He gave Floyd two shots to sedate him pretty heavily before he administered the final shot. Floyd started to snore, that sweet, soft snore that I’ll miss so much. Dr. Smith even commented that he was snoring, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him how much I was going to miss that snore, I’d held my tears and I wasn’t about to let them flow by making the comment. But, for me to get to hear that snore, one more time … it was priceless!!
Floyd was just special, he loved nothing more than to ‘go’. Being in my SUV was one of his greatest joys. Similar to his first home, his next favorite spot was under my desk, at my feet, as I know that’s where he sat with Jim.
Having the opportunity to share Floyd’s last half of his life was just darn amazing. We went tons of places, photographed a trillion birds from my SUV and playhouse, transported injured hawks and owls, and went on cabin trips and family holidays. I’ll miss him tremendously. Thank you Jennifer, for breeding this amazing creature. Thank you Jim and Melissa for sharing him with me … Rest In Peace my big beautiful guy. I love you to the moon and back!!!