Seurat loved the tortillas Frank made for him. |
At fifteen,
he is showing the signs of a life well lived with cataracts, some difficulty
hearing and a desire to sleep a lot. Still – he has not lost his zest for life.
Which is why he is my life hero.
I met
Seurat when he was about 2 years old and living in the Española New Mexico Animal Shelter. I was looking for a companion for my aging sweet
German Shepherd, Livvie. I describe the
meeting in my Chapter 4 of my book, “A Woman Awakens:Life, AfterLife”
.
.
Seurat's first free days in Española |
I looked at all the noses and wagging
tails on the other side of the chain-linked gate and then returned my
gaze to the dog in the corner. Such a sad sight. Suddenly he lifted his head
and focused on me, then uttered a long eerie howl. I replied to the attendant,
‘I want to see that one more closely.’
Seurat with Livvie, 2006 |
During the first
two months of my relationship with Seurat I discovered that he was very bright
and even seemed to understand my thoughts as well as my words. He was also
stubborn – but merely a match for my own stubborn streak.
He came within a
day of being taken back to the shelter because I didn’t think I could trust him
not to bite me. His growls were sufficiently intimidating to make me wary. In
desperation I ttold him that though I really cared for him I
would have to take him back to the shelter because I was afraid he would bite.
He seemed to listen intently. And from that day, that talk, he did not growl at
me again. He got it.
2009. Sitting and looking out over the Costa Rican hills |
Livvie passed
away in 2010 and Seurat became my sole canine companion. He took his job of
watching over me quite seriously. His protectiveness
was severely challenged when Frank and I got together. Though Seurat liked
Frank, he didn’t like us spending private time together. Frank, another dog lover was able to
change their
dynamic by sitting next to Seurat on the couch and talking softly and directly. “Seurat, the trouble we are having is because we both love the same woman…” Seurat listened and there was never again a problem. And he listened again when we asked him to accept into our family a starving shepherd mix female rescued from the streets of San Isidro . He accepted her completely on the day we took him to meet her. He had objected strongly to another dog and a puppy in the months before. Seurat was definitely opinionated about both people and other dogs.
dynamic by sitting next to Seurat on the couch and talking softly and directly. “Seurat, the trouble we are having is because we both love the same woman…” Seurat listened and there was never again a problem. And he listened again when we asked him to accept into our family a starving shepherd mix female rescued from the streets of San Isidro . He accepted her completely on the day we took him to meet her. He had objected strongly to another dog and a puppy in the months before. Seurat was definitely opinionated about both people and other dogs.
Though I admired
Seurat’s obvious intelligence and ability to understand, it was the example he
set for me during illness that put him up on the hero-worthy pedestal.
Seurat, constantly attentive |
Suddenly one
morning Seurat collapsed and was having difficulty getting up off the floor and
to walk. His head was cocked severly to one side. I was terrified at the
possibility that I was losing my dearest friend to some kind of neurological
demise. He was after all 15 years old - or 105 in dog years. Fortunately, a friend arrived who could take Seurat to the Vet,
who gave him 3 weeks worth of medicine (prednisone) and the diagnosis of either a middle ear inflammation or my worst fear, neurological decline. I took over his 4 feedings per day, which at first meant feeding him by hand since he couldn’t move his mouth well. Slowly he improved. While sick, he still continued his job of watching over me from room to room. A month later – just about when I was allowed to again put weight on my healing foot, he was acting pretty normal except for a slightly cocked head and some persistent weakness.
who gave him 3 weeks worth of medicine (prednisone) and the diagnosis of either a middle ear inflammation or my worst fear, neurological decline. I took over his 4 feedings per day, which at first meant feeding him by hand since he couldn’t move his mouth well. Slowly he improved. While sick, he still continued his job of watching over me from room to room. A month later – just about when I was allowed to again put weight on my healing foot, he was acting pretty normal except for a slightly cocked head and some persistent weakness.
The thing that
impressed me most, however, was his heart. He just never gave up. While he was still stumbling and walking
wobbly, he would follow Frida out the back door and try to run up the road. Of
course he only got a few feet the first time or two – but he didn’t stop
trying.
Such an inspiring attitude about life. I took to my own heart his example of persistence and courage. It was Seurat, this little dog with the big presence who helped me to
endure the 89 days until I was able to take my first tentative steps, aided by
a cane. I celebrated silently, with my eye on Seurat.