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| Katie and Harold posing for a photo after enjoying an ATV ride. |
When I left the Vet’s office today, the song on the radio was “She Ain’t In It” by Jon Pardi. As the song ends the lyrics go “my life won’t be the same, as long as she ain’t in it”. Katie isn’t here now, physically. But I’m at peace with the decision. She had declined a lot over the past few months. Couldn’t stand without help. Couldn’t go up or down steps without help. When we detected earlier this week that she was very uncomfortable, I knew the right, kind, loving, caring thing to do was to help her one last time. She earned that much at least.
Today I had to say goodbye to my Katie. After 15 wonderful years that had stolen her body. Please don’t be sad. Yes, I am grieving over the loss of a very beloved family member, but she is at peace now. I believe she is running pain-free with her hunting buddy Cooper. The beagle that taught her to hunt.
“Just Perfect.” That’s how my best buddy Bob described my Katie. And I have to agree, she has always been perfect in every way.
Katie a black lab pup came to us through tragedy. Our six-month-old lab Remington had died suddenly and my only course of action was to immediately get another puppy.
I remember going to Lancaster, Pa during a rainstorm to get her. Megan, my daughter and I fought over Katie's name and never did reach an agreement. My daughter wanted to name her after Remington since he died at six months, she felt it a good tribute. I just was not so sure.
I awoke that first morning after adopting the ‘new Remmie’ recalling a dream. In the dream, I called her Katie. It was June 8, 2003, at 5 am, I was outside listening to the turkeys gobble, the pup by my side. I walked a bit up the yard and when I turned around, I called out “Katie come”, and she did.
From that moment on she was Katie Daub; another member of our family.
A day or so later, Kathryn my mother-in-law stopped in. Kathryn asked me what the new addition’s name was. I will never forget the look on her face when I said, Katie. She backed away a few steps and sat down on a chair. She looked at me and asked, “why Katie?” She knew Megan and I had argued over the pups name and Katie was not on the list. I explained the dream and the name change. Tears immediately welled in her eyes. Asking Kathryn what was wrong? She replied; “I have prayed for help. For my deceased brother Bill to watch over us and help us. He always called me ‘Katie’.” It was as if her prayers had come true as she sat there with tears in her eyes sharing this very personal moment with us. Maybe Bill did have something to do with it, we will never know.
Katie was “Just Perfect.”
In 15 years, the only time I remember being upset about anything she did was a few rolls in poop. She learned to rabbit hunt from my beagle Cooper. I’d laugh watching her put her paws on a brush pile and bounce, watching for a rabbit to flush.
After Cooper passed we began pheasant hunting, she loved it. Katie was a great scent trailer, I guess earning a degree from beagle school helped with that.
Besides hunting, I think Katie’s favorite thing in life, if not licking the bacon tray after breakfast had to be riding on things. If I was cutting grass, Katie was on the tractor. If I was riding ATV, Katie was on the back. And she never fell off! My hat would blow off, but “Katie would just surf” says Bob, “she was just perfect.”
We all love you and will miss you terribly. Thanks for helping us through that tough situation that brought us together 15+ years ago.
I will always treasure our time afield. If only we had more.
Your beloved owner, Harold Daub
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