April 15, 2013 – Feb 28,2022
Dash, The Dash Man, Bubba, Dashy Doodle Dog, Boofus. These are all names that I had for my sweet boy Dash the boxer! He was well loved by many and actually had a Facebook following. 
I adopted Dash in Oklahoma City in 2013. He was 12 weeks old. I wasn’t looking to add a dog as a pet at that time. I was going to wait until I retired and would have more time. I heard the neighbors down the street had some Boxer puppies and that they were trying to find homes for them. I decided to “just go look” at the puppies and play with them for a little bit and then come home. Well you guessed it, Dash wiggled his way into my heart and he came home with me that very night. Dash and I relocated to Oregon in 2015. Dash loved the cooler weather and the beauty of the PNW.
Dash loved to go on walks . One of his favorite places was a few miles away that had large grassy fields and trails and a little creek running through it with a bridge. He would trot up in front of me off leash, so excited to get to the creek so he could cross over the bridge, run through the trees and meet me on the other side with his big happy smile.
Dash was diagnosed with a heart murmur and some gum and teeth issues in 2019 and things went downhill from there. He started becoming more fatigued on our walks and showed that he wasn’t feeling well. In January 2022 Dash was diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome. I watched him carefully knowing that this disease would one day take him from me. We made the most of his last days here on earth spending time together, going on very gentle walks sometimes just out the front door and down 15 steps and then we turn around and come back when he indicated that he was “done”. I always gave him the choice of going outside for a walk and he would tell me in no uncertain terms if he was feeling good enough for it or not. If he was feeling up to it he’d wag his tail and stand waiting to put on his harness. If it was a bad day and he didn’t want to go on a walk he would not come to the door with me and he would stay on my bed looking out the window.
Dash’s favorite treats were raw chicken hearts.
The day came when he was not enjoying life any longer as was evident in his eyes and so I called Compassionate Care. I knew this was the best thing to do for Dash but as you know, it’s still a very hard decision to make. Dr. Kali Wilson was very kind and compassionate, taking the time to talk to Dash, scratch his chin and to comfort me with her words. When the time came Dash was lying up on my bed where he loved to look out the window and watch the world outside. (His best day was when Fed Ex, UPS or Amazon had a delivery in the neighborhood.)
I had a bowl of chicken hearts and fed them to Dash one by one as Dr. Wilson administered the sedation. Dash was wagging his tail and smiling as he was enjoying the bowl of treats. It’s as though he was thinking, “has my mama lost her mind?“ She’s giving me all the chicken hearts I want! He ate the last one out of my hand and then slowly dropped his head to my lap and fell asleep. Dash will always be in my heart, as THE BEST DOG EVER. No animal can ever take his place, but I will surely open my heart to having another furry friend as my grief subsides.
