Urge

Was was a red merle tri border collie. about 21 months old.  he was smaller than he looks, about 18" at the
shoulder and 45 lbs. 

He lived with my dogs, as one of my dogs.  He and my two other males loved to wrestle and tug with each other.  True Blue and Urge were especially close.   I had already taught him basic obedience (he was absolutely brilliant, motivated and driven yet still able to think clearly). I had begun to teach Urge some agility, thinking this would build his confidence, his self-esteem.

On Friday 3/23/01, Urge and three of my dogs got out of my yard.  My gate had frozen over the winter which caused the wood to swell and the latch was not lined up properly.  I called for them and the obsessively obedient Tiara returned right away. While Mark (my husband) continued to look and call for them,  I raced over to the local SPCA to give descriptions.  As I was pulling out of the SPCA to continue the search I could see a line of cars, including a police car at the intersection of my road.  I knew what had happened, I just didn't know how many were hurt or how badly.

I pulled over and ran across the street to Urge who was laying down with his head up.   Mark was already there and many people had stopped.  A kind man was petting Urge's head until Mark got there.  He didn't look so bad but was bleeding from the mouth which alarmed me as it probably meant extensive internal injuries.  Further, his gums and tongue were fading & his pupils were very dilated.  He was in shock.

True and Stevie were still missing. I looked around and in the field behind a little motorcyle shop on corner of my road, was True.  I ran down & called him & he came right to me.  He was worried and his face and neck were covered with blood.  I immediately thought that he had been hit as well.   However, there wasn't a scratch on him.  It turned out that Stevie had run back to the house and was laying in the front yard shaking.  I have come to the conclusion that they stayed together, they really would have had no reason to separate and that True and Stevie witnessed the accident.  True, the loving, sensitive boy that he is, tried to help his friend and had been soaked with his blood.

After getting True in Mark's car, I ran back to Urge and Mark.  I rushed him  to the vet but knew he was dying on the way.  I just kept telling him that he was a good boy, that I was so sorry and that I loved him.  I pulled up to the sidewalk at the vet's and ran in and said "help - he's suffering" thinking at the very least he could be euthanized to end his pain.  the vet dropped everything, ran out & rushed Urge into the dog emergency room.  It was way too late to save him,  he had died in the car. 

After putting True and Stevie inside, Mark arrived at the vet and came into the room with me.  I spent quite a while with Urge.  He looked good - his injuries were mostly internal - and peaceful.  He loved people and would kiss you and come over to be petted but didn't not want to be smothered.  For the first time I was able to kiss him on the head and the nose, I'm just sorry it was to kiss him good-bye.

We took him home and buried him. 

I hope Urge is now at peace and knows how much we all love him and
miss him.

ann marie