Blackhawk

Blackie has gone to the Rainbow Bridge!
NO longer Available For The Senior For Senior Program

Male
21 lbs.
13 years
Surrendered by owner due to nursing home.
Brindle and White - Haggerty spot good markings
Has the cutest long tail
Neutered
Up to date on Bordatella, Rabies, and 7 in 1 shots.
Heartworm/lyme/erlichia Negative!
Housebroken and wee wee pad trained

A little over 4 years ago, I got a call from a lady who's mother was in a nursing home with alzheimers disease. Unfortunately her dementia had gotten so bad that she was no longer taking care of her beloved Blackie so the home said he had to go. The lady told me of her mothers finding Blackie out on the street as a young dog and how much she loved her Blackie and would hate to see him put down because she was no longer able to care for him. I went to the nursing home and picked up this Big old Boston who was scared of me, not at all good on a leash and had definite ideas about no other dogs being allowed near him.

Blackie was older (around 9-10 years), dog aggressive and not what most of my adopters thought of as a typical Boston. He was big over 20 lbs and he had a long tail. So that was 4 strikes against him from the get go as far as adaptability. Over the years that I have had Blackie, he has had a few inquiries, but no one ever really felt the connection and stepped forward to give the old man a loving forever home. Blackie injured his eye in the first year he was with us and had to have it removed so that was another strike on adoptability for him. Then in 2005, he developed some heart issues and that put him farther down the list of what folks were looking for in a dog to adopt.

I will have to say that Blackie was a character and over time as I worked with him, I grew to love him a lot. With a lot of correction and time outs, Blackie learned to tolerate the other dogs and not try to beat them up every chance he got. After a couple of years, I got to update his webpages saying he got along with the other dogs well. I had hoped to find him a special someone to live out his remaining years with. Unfortunately, no one else saw the spirit and the love in this old man that I did.

Blackie seemed to know that I was his person from the first few days after he got over being afraid of me, even if I did not. He was always following me around and making sure I was ok. Blackie was a good dog and I am glad that I was the rescue person who decided to help him. Blackie started declining over a year ago. He started loosing weight and walked around looking like a skeleton which made me feel bad, but he was still eating like a horse and everything looked good, he was just getting the old man skinnies. He was about 13-14 years old. I could call him and he would come running as fast as his old legs would carry him so he could get his special dins with the gravy and the pain and heart meds in them. At night when it was bed time, I would say time for bed and he would go to his bed next to mine and curl up and look up at me waiting for me to cover him up with his fuzzie fleece. I have done this every night for years now.

Last night Blackie started moaning as if he was in pain so I knew it was time. I could not let him be in pain no matter how much I wanted to keep him with me. I took him to the vet and had her help him to find peace. Since he had gotten so fragile, he had no veins so she gave him a shot to relax him and see if she could make a vein pop up so he wouldn't get upset with her handling him. I stayed right where he could see me with his little eye and my hand under his chin so he could lick me and be happy. He loves to give me kisses. Blackie is now at peace and no longer in any pain, but I shall miss the sweet old boy because I really think that in my heart he became my dog over the time I had him.

It will be strange going in there tonight for bed and no little one eye boy looking up at me for his fuzzie and waiting to give me a kiss goodnight. He was always giving me a kiss. He even gave me kisses today at the vet when I had to tell him goodbye. He didn't want to leave me. For a little old fart that no one wanted, he was very much beloved by me.

Blackie was worth every penny our rescue spent on him over the years. Yes he took up a space that another dog more adoptable could have had. BUT.... Blackie deserved the chance to find his forever home, just as much as one that was more adoptable. I have adopted out dogs I thought NO ONE in their right minds would adopt, but they did. Blackie was a good dog who deserved the chance for someone to see the great dog on the inside. Sometimes, sadly, the only person that sees that great dog is me when they are older or have health issues or are not perfect. But... Blackie was a great little dog who deserves a little tribute message from someone who loved him.

Be at peace Blackie, Go be one of Bruce's babies in heaven, my Bruce will watch over you until we meet again.