WITH DAILY WALKS AND A WAG OF HIS TAIL, RUFUS HELPED TO BRING A NEIGHBORHOOD TOGETHER FIVE STAR LIFT Edition

MY reasons for living in the city were confirmed when my dog, [RUFUS], died. Rufus was a big black dog, a lab mix, who loved everybody in the neighborhood (except the mailman). Rufus and I lived together for 10 years. Our block is home to accountants, teachers, firefighters, carpenters, physicians,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inSt. Louis post-dispatch
Main Author Behrman, Gary
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published St. Louis, Mo Pulitzer, Inc 26.10.2000
Subjects
Community support
Dogs
Neighborhoods
Pets
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:MY reasons for living in the city were confirmed when my dog, [RUFUS], died. Rufus was a big black dog, a lab mix, who loved everybody in the neighborhood (except the mailman). Rufus and I lived together for 10 years. Our block is home to accountants, teachers, firefighters, carpenters, physicians, a librarian, nurse, car salesman and a horticulturist. What we thought was a bad case of arthritis turned out to be more serious. Word spread quickly through the neighborhood that Rufus had bone cancer. I made the decision to have Rufus euthanized at home. It turned out to be a wonderful experience, a genuine sharing of loss. The last weekend of Rufus' life was memorable. Neighbors came to say goodbye to Rufus. He would greet each guest at the door with his familiar bark and wagging tail. Many brought a final treat for him and flowers or a book for me. We laughed and cried together as we told "Rufus stories." I even learned that Rufus taught himself how to open a neighbor's back door and let himself into the kitchen to check out the supper menu. It was gratifying and humbling to see how connected so many people were to Rufus.
ISSN:1930-9600