Austin
Austin (Alkemi Austin Healey ST) – 1/15/10 – 2/19/23
Austin was born upside down (with dogs back feet first or front feet first doesn’t matter, as long as they’re belly-down. Belly up can be a problem. Austin was belly up. It wasn’t the easiest thing to get him out safely, and this was my first litter, but eventually we got him out and nursing. Jim decided his litter name should be Immelmann, after the aerobatics maneuver.
He was the only stub-tailed boy in the litter, and one of only two stub tails (Demi was the other).
A fellow agility competitor had approached me about a puppy. Her name was Lisa, and she’d been very successful with her Basset hounds in agility. More importantly, I knew she took excellent care of her dogs, and I knew he’d have a good home.
She took wonderful care of Austin, and Austin took care of Lisa too, through many life changing events. He ate things he shouldn’t and needed emergency surgery, Lisa made sure he got it. Austin was her constant companion, along with one of her Bassets named Hobbes, who was Austin’s BFF. He played agility, he raised puppies, he traveled, he got up to no good with Hobbes, and most importantly: he was part of a family.
Even at the very end, Lisa (and her husband Chuck, who also loved Austin) did everything she could for him, including surgery because while he was 13, he was a very young and vigorous 13, and they thought if he had a chance, they should give it to him. And at first he looked like he was pulling through. But then he was gone.
Lisa and Chuck: you did everything for Austin, he knew so much love, and ahd so much fun in his life. They’re never here long enough, but to have lived a good life with love is everything.
Rest easy Austin, you were a Very Good Boy.
