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jduballstars
51 years old
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Philadelphia
Born Dec-8-1972
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jduballstars

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12 Dec 2008
On December 11, 2008 Harpua, my beloved Shar-Pei/Staffordshire Terrier mix was put to rest at the ripe old age of 15, She turned 15 on October 22 and I adopted her into my life at the wee age of 5 weeks old.

She has had a wonderful life,


The Begining
Field House at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT Parking lot

Harpua found me in Montana; she was in a playpen full of free puppies in the parking lot of a Phish concert. Love at first sight. There was an instant connection between us the minute I saw her I knew I was going to be taking her with me. She traveled with me in my back pack for the rest of the tour and we went back home to San Diego. Harpua came to be her name because Phish performs a song called “Harpua” and for some reason she would howl at the opening notes of the song and did so till the day she died. Coincidently the song is about a dog named Harpua. My favorite lyric from the song is:

“Me and Harpua
Spastic dead-eyed hound
Oozing dreadlock skullcap
We're coming to your town
We'll help you party down”

This pretty much sums up my life at this point; traveling around seeing concerts and being a irresponsable 21 year old. Since she howled at the opening notes of that song I couldn’t think of a more fitting name so in a scense she named her self.

Years 1-10
San Diego
We came back to San Diego the day before my birthday, on Dec 7 and I introduced her into her new digs, I took her for her shots at the OB vet clinic and registered her as Southern Californian. She moved right in like she had always been there. She also was very easy to train; she had outside figured out pretty quick and really loved the leash. She was a very easy puppy, always eager to please and loved to be around other dogs. One thing she was afraid of was going up and down stairs; she really had a hard time with them. not sure why that was. I used to live one block away from Dog Beach in Ocean Beach San Diego. Needless to say there are countless joyous memories of her adventures in the waves and tearing around in the sand under the warm Southern California sun. I used to take her the Ocean Beach Dog Wash and clean her up after hours of beach time. She’d dry herself off too, I’d bring her in the house and she rolled on a towel I’d lay out on the floor. She did this pretty much up to the end.

We went on camping trips in the California and Nevada deserts all the time, she was a professional camper and knew instantly what was in store when I rolled out the camping gear. Our favorite spot to camp was outside of Indian springs Nevada in the Mojave right outside of the alleged area 51. Our favorite thing to do was to look for UFOS at night. We used to go to the SCA medieval war reenactment every memorial day in Campo California, we were spectators but she enjoyed all the food (turkey legs) and visiting campsites. We went camping in all the California forests too. We went fishing and went on Bigfoot hunts in the dense words of Mt. Laguna and she once saw a bear at Mt. Shasta. The Heroic Little Girl Barked and Barked at the bear and he wondered away from our camp site. One of our favorite annual activities was to go to the Apple Days in Julian California. We’d eat all the delicious treats and go snooping around the old graveyard and checking out the horse stables capping off our day at the BBQ pit for some ribs and beer. She loved Balboa Park and the endless trails by the San Diego Zoo, where the green grass rolled on forever and those damn squirrels would taunt her.

We have been to countless outdoor music festivals and community street fair events one of our favorites was the Tecate Music and arts Festival in Tecate U.S.A. right on the California/Mexico boarder, it was here where Harpua got pregnant, oops. I had always planned for her to have a litter of pups and now was the time I guess…er, well, there really wasn’t much you could do about it at that point. The dog that sired her was Pit Bull mixed with something else and her 6 pups where the most adorable little critters. There were 3 brown ones: Smoke, Vegas and Yonder. 2 black and white ones: Red Barron and Lucy: and the lone black one that looked just like Mama: Sally.

All the pups went to good homes and Sally went to a local taco shop owner in my neighborhood in Ocean Beach. When I last visited San Diego in 2007 Sally was a big ol pudgeball enjoying all the food and living the best life a dog could live.

Everybody knew Harpua in Ocean Beach, if I was by myself everyone would ask, “where’s Harpua?” when she was young she used to tow me down the street on my skateboard in earnest. We would take long extended walks on sunset cliffs everyday and try not to miss the spectacular sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. She was welcome in all the bars and most of the Restaurants in Ocean Beach and was a permanent fixture at Dog Beach. She would often get out of the yard and went directly to this bar next door to me called the tilted stick. There she would eat bacon that the bartender gladly gave her. I’d get a phone call: “Hey man, your dogs here…..again”. I’d go over and hang out with her and have a couple of beers.

Our yearly tradition at the annual Ocean Beach Christmas Parade she would sit on my lap outside of Theo’s Restaurant and I would wear my Santa hat, we’d eat a calzone (they were HUGE) and drink Sierra Nevada Beer. We would watch the parade then we’d go down to the end of Newport Avenue to watch them light the tree. The holiday season was particularly special for us as I had no family in California, everyone was on the East coast and I was not interested in winter travel so we would spend a lot of time going to different holiday parties and community holiday events. Thanksgiving was always an instant win for her, there were so many Thanksgiving parties in Ocean Beach. On Christmas, with out fail, I would wake up at 7am and make her a rib eye steak with some eggs and we would watch movies all day. She was the embodiment of companionship during the holidays and spared me from being lonely while everyone was off with their families.

She loved to swim in the ocean, she would chase the waves out and ride them back in. she loved live music and would sit in front of the stage to watch. She loved going to Mexico, one Music Festival in Particular was Baja Bash, 4 days of camping and live music on the beach in Salsipuedes, Mexico. She has collected backstage passes for several events over the years.

Years 10-13
Austin Texas
She was such a trooper on the move from San Diego to Austin. It was a big change but as usual she was up for anything, where ever I went she was close behind. She was ever vigilante in the shady campsites we stayed in, knowing my protector was by my side brought me a lot of comfort. We took the long way so we could see the sites, we went to an Indian reservation in Arizona, she sampled buffalo jerky and got her picture taken with an Indian chief. We stopped at several road side attractions along the way. We visited Roswell and she even took a pee on the White Sands Missile Test Range sign in New Mexico. We lived in Austin Texas for 3 years. We did not find Texas to our liking, it was too hot and no beach. She did warm up to spillway at Barton springs, explored the greenbelt (she loved the green belt when it wasn’t over 90 degrees), checked out the freaks on 6th street and even went on canoe rides on the Colorado River. She enjoyed the stinky dead fish (too much) and summer fun on Lake Travis, Toobing trips to the Comel river in New Braunfels, daily trips to Sam the Wizard Man’s house for Wheat Grass and to play with her pal Patches. We both thought Austin was a great place to visit but lacked the tight knit community we were used to in Ocean beach so we decided to head north to papas home, The East Coast.

Years 13-15
Philadelphia
The East Coast meant beaches again and Philadelphia isn’t far from the Jersey shore, to our dismay no dogs are allowed on the Jersey beaches so that was a disappointment but Philadelphia was great for her (I still snuck her on a few beaches). We took 4 days to get here from Austin and took in all the sites we could, we stayed in hotels this time and she was so good, she knew I was sneaking her in so she waited quietly in the car while I checked in, not a peep. We chose the city of brotherly love for her golden years. The neighborhood is Fishtown and we felt right at home. Fishtown is very much like Ocean Beach as it is a small business driven community and everyone knows everyone, Harpua began to enjoy her status again as the dog about town. She spent the rest of her life snacking on cheesesteaks, Daily trips to Canvas Coffee House for her bacon treat from Phyllis, Tailgating Eagles Games, Watching Football at Seth’s house, listening to papa scream at the TV all summer at Phillies games. BBQ parties in our yard, enjoying city walks, going for snow romps and chasing my moms cats in the Endless Mountains when we visited her. Harpua once again had neighborhood city life a good community that we lacked in Austin, and the Mountains with and occasional beach trip. Everything was almost as good as Ocean Beach. She was well received in, Fishtown, and everyone knew her she made some very good friends at the dog park where we made daily visits.

Her last 2 years were fulfilling ones indeed for one lucky dogs blessed life. She was such an awesome animal and recently my girlfriend and I have been learning how to farm vegetables. We have been going to a friend’s farm in Salisbury Maryland for the fall harvest. She loved it there and could have become complete farm dog for sure. Last month during one of our trips to the farm we went to Assateague island on the eastern shore of Maryland and she got one more run on the beach and saw the wild horses that live on the island. She was so happy and it seemed like she could live forever during that trip. She got to enjoy one last Thanksgiving and one more trip to my moms and to the mountains up in the NY Catskills. October and November proved to be very exciting and eventful times for her and it seems she got to do everything she loved all at once.

She was an astute music fan and even had favorite bands. Music she enjoyed was indicated by the delivery of a sock for me to throw, this happened when a favorite song of hers played. She loved parties and BBQs, especially BBQs. She loved bonfires on the beach. She loved holidays and gatherings, She loved being in boats. She loved long car rides. She has traveled cross country with me. She has gone to 32 states, Mexico and Canada with me, she was a dog with privileges and commanded respect unlike any other animal I knew, It was like almost hanging out with a person who couldn’t talk. She was a master communicator however, I don’t know how to explain it, she would tell me things and I understood, clearly. She would ask for things, either by sign language such as tapping her water dish with her paw if it was empty or direct communication like looking at me directly in the eyes then looking at the door, in distinct deliberate movements. It was amazing. She knew people by name too. Word association was really easy for her, she really did understand English, this I am sure of.





The end
Philadelphia

Her death came sudden, she was fine on Sunday, we went to the park and she played with all her friends. It’s hard to imagine how fast all of this happened.

She went fast, on Monday, Dec 8, (my birthday), I came home from celebrating my 36th and I saw she had bloated up, my Girlfriend Kim, and I rushed her to the emergency Vet at U Penn, they did an ultrasound and found a mass on her liver. The next day I took her to her regular vet and they did x-rays and confirmed it as a Tumor. On Wednesday, Dec 10 I took her up to the cancer clinic in Malvern PA to get a complete ultrasound and blood samples to determine if there was anything we could do and the vet confirmed the worse. It turns out the tumor was lodged between her liver and heart; it was growing rapidly and internal bleeding had began,

3 days was all it took.

The vet had said she had been working on this tumor for the better part of the year but there was no sign of illness, none, she was happy, playful and had no sign of ever slowing down, she had a good appetite and went for lots of car rides and walks. This is all very confusing to realize how ill she was with no signs, In august she was bit on the face by another dog and had to get stitches, I was worried to death the stress would kill her because of her age and it was a serious wound but she bounced back like the champ she is. That was 3 months ago, how can this cancer been as bad as it was with no signs, I do not understand.

We had one night to say goodbye. She cuddled with us on the bed I cried and cried because I knew the end was here and so did she. I hoped for a few more days with her but the next day was so bad, she wouldn't eat, she was whimpering, she bloated more, a new mass formed from the bleeding on her ribs, She kept looking at me with eyes that said “daddy make it stop”. All of a sudden out of no where she perked up and wanted to go for a walk, so I took her in the pouring rain and we went to that park, she did one lap and then we came home, she rolled on her towel to dry off then started wheezing and groaning. At first I had a ray of hope but then I realized she wanted one last routine before she was going to die.

In the end I realize she gave me everything her little body could give and was ready to go.

The vet cautioned us that a rupture could occur anytime and it would be an extremely painful death for her, I did not want her to experience this so I took her to the vet in the late afternoon and put her down, I held her in my arms through the whole process and she died with me laying on the floor holding her. I was with her until the very end and for this I am glad, I so happy I was able to do it I thought I wouldn’t be able too. She didn’t even leave a mess. It was very dignified and peaceful and the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life, period.

I will miss her so much. She was my best friend, a co-worker, a partner and companion, a therapist, and a good listener, we never left each others side. She has never been boarded in a kennel and if she couldn’t come with me or have proper care at home, I didn’t go It was that simple. If I had to go out of town without her I would have a trusted friend watch her in our home.

I feel so lucky and blessed to have had the tremendous experience with this amazing animal and sharing 15 years of my life with her. She was one of a kind and there will never be another one like her.

Everyone who knows me knows that Harpua was the most important thing in my life, I am lost without her and it’ll be a long time coming before I fully recover from this, I’ve never felt such profound loss and sadness. I have been preparing for the end, I know her age was up there but I can’t believe how fast and final it was when it happened. I thought I could handle this but after day one of her being gone, I’m starting to realize the emptiness and sadness is going to be very hard to deal with. I’ve had other dogs growing up but never had I had a relationship with an animal like I had with her, I was 21 when I got her and I am now 36, she has shared all of my most pivotal experiences in life both good and bad and has had an intimate understanding of me that I think humans probably will never have. I work from home. My days are going to be very lonely with out her visits to my office and my breaks taking her for walks, playing sock and feeding her delicious treats. Fortunately we have 2 cats to keep me company and they have been great over the last day as I am sure they share in my grief.

I had her privately cremated and I plan of dividing up the ashes into thirds, one third will be spread in the waters of dog beach in San Diego, the other third will be put in the greenbelt in Austin Texas, and the rest will be kept in memory of her wonderful and cherished life

Thanks Harpua for everything I love you and I miss so much, I hope you finally got that damn squirrel.
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12 Dec 2008 - 17:56

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