Timbre of a TimeFree Mind

Eight years ago or so I decided that I wanted another member of the family. I researched the ads and kept looking out at Animal Control. I had a fawn-colored pug named Brutus (I had rescued a few years before) and I thought a black pug would be cute. I finally saw an ad in the Oregonian and I called the lady and drove down the Coast (2-3 hour drive) and found the home where the little Pug was living with his siblings. The first time I laid eyes on Dominic I knew that he was a special little guy. He came to me immediately and I bought him on the spot. The lady said that he wasn't papered but had all of his current shots (she gave him one while I was there) and we came back to Portland. Brutus has since passed (I guessed his age at around 13) and I have adopted two more since. Rodney the Chihuahua was next, and then 3 years ago Bandit- a rowdy fawn Pug. Time marches on and I have lived with Darren for almost a year now//... between the both of us we have 5 kids. Bear is a great Basset Hound and I have fallen for him too. Mollie is our cat and she is the undisputed Queen of the house (I handed my crown to her some time back....)

They have all been healthy and happy. Rodney did have one bout with a bladder stone a few years back.....BUT, in June 2003 I noticed that Dominic seemed "older" and not as happy. He had gained quite a bit of weight over the years and I was trying to get all of our weights down.
My partner of 9 years, Rick Smith had passed the month before after a 2-year battle with cancer and I was still very much in the mourning process.

July 15th, 2003: Dominic was urinating uncontrollably and the subsequent wetness was very sticky to the touch. He had not lost any weight yet but he was refusing to eat. He was drinking water like there was no tomorrow. It scared me. This was during the second weekend in July 2003 and good friends of mine (Scott Van Da Walker & Greg Smith) who are a physician's assistant and a hospice nurse respectively, were visiting from Colorado and Scott diagnosed Dominic immediately. I took Dominic to my Vet on Monday and Brian (our Vet) called me back as soon as he got in with the diagnosis. Diabetes! I couldn't talk and my jaw hit the floor- along with my heart. Two thumps, major bruising- spiritually and emotionally. I couldn't lose another family member so soon, how could this happen to a sweet dog?

Brian gave Dominic his first shot of insulin that day and I have been giving him his 2-shots daily since. Darren has been great with all of this and he is a wonderful caregiver to myself and the rest of our family. There is no way that I could've kept Dominic (and all of our "kids") healthy and happy without him. Darren is everything to us and he keeps our blended family happy, healthy and loved. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to him. Dominic is doing great although diabetes has caused him to become mostly blind. He has learned the whole back yard through other senses and he amazes us every day.