Buck was my first Lab. He was between 3 and 5 years old when I adopted him in 1993. In the beginning, he was dog aggressive, but we overcame this problem with a little work.
As a pup, he was beaten and abused. I was told that the original owner thought
that Buck was "dumb" because he would not drop an item after a successful
retrieve. The apparent solution was a fist to the head. A caring neighbor
took Buck away from his abusive owner and then gave him to a rescue group
in Yucaipa, California. I adopted him on Halloween of 1993.
Buck loved hiking,
especially trails in the Inyo National Forest.
He used a Wenaha pack and booties from Wolf Packs.
He lost his hearing late in 1999. Buck was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation in April of 2000. His heart was as thin as a cat's heart, and it only
contracted at 11% of normal. I viewed the ultrasound monitor, and the heart didn't seem to contract at all. I was told the blood was getting swooshed thru, not pumped. As a result, his body was not getting enough oxygen. To compensate, he rested and his breathing became labored. His appetite was limited, too, and he ate very little. Finally he stopped eating.
This led to one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made - Buck was
euthanized on May 19, 2000.
As the blood was drawn into the syringe, Buck put his head on my lap. He
was gone seconds later.
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