Prayers and Passages

A Tribute to Shiloh

            Lynn and Tony Gatlin have the rescue Project Pawz at Corsicana and one of the inpirations and a partner in their work was Shiloh, a fellow who helped guide other dogs into safe havens.
            Here is Lynn's tribute to their great partner and family member:
            "On November 25, the day after Thanksgiving, a single event brought the last 13 years to an abrupt close.  My dog Shiloh fell gravely ill and in an instant, he was gone.
             "Shiloh had an undetected tumor on his liver that apparently ruptured, causing him to bleed internally, and further injuring his liver.  Cancer.  Shiloh had a fast growing cancer that was non symptomatic and we had no idea.  Dr. Wilson and Dr. Boyd did everything they could to save him, but it was not to be. 
            "Shiloh lost too much blood and his tired body simply couldn’t recover.  And just like that, I’m faced with the devastating realization that I’ll never see Shiloh again. But how can that be? Shiloh was ALWAYS available.  He was always there when I needed him.  Shiloh and I still had things to do.  More 4 wheeler rides to take.  More steal-away trips to Sonic for his beloved plain and dry children’s cheeseburger.  More walks.  More rides in the country.  More trips to our land.  More time together doing absolutely nothing.  I want more time. 
            "And yet, he’s gone.  Very suddenly, and much too soon, Shiloh is gone.  The sadness is immeasurable.  The guilt…. Even more.  I save dogs. That’s what I do.  But I couldn’t save my own.  I couldn’t save my very own dog that’s been my unfailing constant for the past 13 years.  Didn’t I owe it to him?  After all, he saved me time and time again…. Mostly from myself.
            "Tony and I certainly weren’t looking for another dog when Shiloh showed up on our doorstep all those years ago.  We even tried to find a suitable home for Shiloh rather than take in yet another dog.  Looking back, I realize now Shiloh was placed in our lives for a reason.  He was the catalyst that sparked my desire to rescue other homeless animals, just like him.
            "Shiloh and his pal Buzz, both rescues, are the very reason I do what I do. 
            "Time passed and Shiloh settled into our home and gained our affection. He was one of those remarkable dogs with the most generous, loving heart.  He only wanted to please.  He was smart, faithful, and completely devoted to our happiness. In the beginning, he was this frightened, innocent creature who was extremely shy and noticeably unsure of himself.  Through the years, Shiloh developed into a self-assured gentleman of a dog with the most amazing, devoted spirit. 
            "I’m not exactly sure when the tables turned, but somewhere along the way, WE became the pupils.  It’s only in Shiloh’s death that I’ve come to realize this… To truly recognize and appreciate all the things he taught me. If only I could have one more day…  Just so I could appropriately thank him.  I’d thank him first for being a good listener.  Countless times Shiloh was my sounding board.  He’d sit quietly and listen to everything I had to say, occasionally giving me that look with his head cocked to the side as if to assure me, on some level, he understood and agreed.  I’d thank him for being obedient.  Shiloh was the envy of our friends.  The perfect dog.  Well behaved.  Affectionate.  Appreciative.  Wonderful with children.  Loved other dogs.  Shiloh was even nice to cats.  Shiloh saw no differences and held no prejudices.  He offered equal opportunity acceptance and never once waivered. 
            "His heart was pure, and so was his love.  He made no demands whatsoever.  For years, he welcomed scads of foster dogs into our home and patiently taught them to use the doggie door, to potty outside, and that jumping up to greet someone is inappropriate no matter how excited you are to see them.  He rallied behind the slow learners and always shared his treats.  Shiloh wasn’t a pushover though… Oh no.  He just managed to always strike that perfect balance between maintaining his place in our pack and being kind to the newcomers.  He did it in such a way that the newbies loved and respected him.  In fostering dogs, he offered me his guidance.  He helped me with difficult dogs.  He babysat them while I was at work.  I’m convinced he may have even cleaned up their messes before I got home.
            "I wonder now, how will I continue to rescue without Shiloh??  We’re a team. And we were a good team. Time and time again I brought many a wounded soul home and handed them directly over to Shiloh.  Without fail, Shiloh transformed each and every one into a perfectly well-rounded and highly adoptable pet.  I’m not sure I can continue to be a successful rescuer without him. Shiloh played an important role in our home, and he did it dutifully, without even realizing it.
            "There are so many things we can learn from a dog, if only we allow ourselves….
            "Without a forethought, and by simply living his life, Shiloh has left me with many fond memories.  Time spent with Shiloh was ALWAYS time well spent, and a surefire guarantee to emerge feeling better.  He was my sidekick on 4 wheeler rides. He excitedly jumped on behind me even if I was simply parking it inside for the night.  It didn’t matter to him if we were traveling for 1 minute or 1 hour.  He was up for the trip.  He was my constant co-pilot on the mule.  A single crank of the engine would bring Shiloh running from wherever he was, to take his assigned position on the passenger side.  We had an understanding, he and I.  He exhibited sheer delight in a simple afternoon jaunt around the neighborhood, always watching for any sign that today was the day for a drive.  If I even so much as headed for the mule, his face lit up as if to say, “Save me a seat!!”  It simply won’t be the same without him.  I have a feeling everything we shared will now be plain vanilla without Shiloh.  He added so much fun and flavor to my life. 
            "Tony and I buried Shiloh today.  We agree we buried a piece of our hearts right along with him.  What we wouldn’t give for just a little more time.  To share.  To appreciate.  To love.  Our pets are only here for a short while.  Cherish and savor every precious moment, realizing that one day there will be no more.
            "Rainbow Bridge received a true gem of a dog this weekend. Our loss is most assuredly their gain…. And I have a feeling Shiloh has already made quite an impression by assisting some stray puppy through Heaven’s great doggie door.  Atta boy Shiloh!!  Wait for us there.  Be well.  And know that we love and miss you so very much.
            "And Shiloh….  Save me a seat!"

Gator -- a big-hearted fellow who loved the chase...

            The story of a good dog would never be known without the love of a human.
            No one would be around to tell us of the dog’s majestic nature, of his adventures, of his affect on their lives.
            Readlarrypowell.com got a note Monday from Cari Weinberg about her old pal Gator.      We’d written about the handsome dog before in our weekend feature “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.” Gator was an accomplished snoozer. (See our January 30, 2009, report HERE. 
            As you can tell from these photos, Gator also had some gray in his whiskers. No spring chicken, but, still....well, Cari said it best in the opening paragraph of her note to us:
            “My old black Lab, Gator, passed away on Saturday. He was such a happy and eager guy, that I just didn’t’ see this happening the way it did even though he was at least 15 years old.
“He fell and broke his leg. The emergency vet thought cancer was behind the weakness in his bone. He was scared and there was no other option so we let him go. My boyfriend Dave and my rescue friend, Paige Anderson, got him to the vet. I was in Marfa and following the rapidly unfolding events over the phone, feeling heartbroken that I couldn’t be with Ol’ Man Gator (we always sung his name to the tune of Ol’ Man River). That night there was an amazing West Texas sunset and the next morning on my friend’s ranch, I woke to the best sunrise I’ve ever seen. I’d like to think he was part of them both.”
            As Cari says, “It’s tough to lose a good ol’ dog; writing his story helps member remember some of my best Gator moments.”
            Here is Cari’s tribute to the magnificent Gator, a good ol’ dog:
            “Gator was a character. He was adopted from a Little Rock, Arkansas rescue group (CARE — Central Arkansas Rescue Effort for Animals) in 2002 or 2003. My elderly Lab had passed away and I decided to adopt another one. Gator’s grey muzzle, sweet face on Petfinder and easygoing description made me realize that this 7-8 year old lab was ‘the one.’
            His original name was ‘Harry.’ A volunteer with the rescue group had seen him at the Cabot, Ark., pound and when a spot in her rescue came open she and her young daughter raced to get him. When they arrived, he was minutes away from being put down.
            In response to his narrow escape, the young daughter said, ‘Mom, he’s magic! Just like Harry Potter!’ To my knowledge this was Gator’s greatest escape."
            [How did Harry become "Gator"? Cari explains that she'd picked out a bunch of grand names for him, but he changed her mind on the road home, "When I adopted him, I met the CARE volunteer halfway at a truck stop in Texarkana. Gator hadn't been in a car much at that point and insisted on riding shotgun and keeping a paw on me the whole time. That paw thing got in the way of steering, so I actually held his paw with one hand and steered with the other, switching off from time to time. Because he was so anxious, he drooled all the way from Texarkana to Frisco and my arm and the armrest were sopping wet when I pulled into my driveway.
            "He puffed and chuffed the whole way home. His heavy breathing his love of gobbling food in a Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom kind of way and his good ol' boy demeanor all added up and I realized this dog was more of a 'Gator' than anything else."]
            Cari continues, "After a few weeks of settling in and impressing me with his happy and easygoing demeanor, Gator showed me that he actually had much more in common with Harry Houdini than with Harry Potter.
            “A door, blown open by the wind led to my first ever ‘Gator Chase.’ No matter how close I got or how loudly I called his name, Gator just liked to run free. The first chase involved me following him with the car, slowly rolling behind him with his frame in my headlights while herding him to my house where a friend waited to pounce on Gator and get him back in the house.
            “He went on to have other great escapes. Once, he took off during an ice storm that struck during evening rush hour.
            “At the time I lived three houses off of Preston road in Frisco where cars were slipping and sliding. I tried to catch him and then decided to hire a group of neighborhood kids to help me corral Gator before he dashed in front of a car on the slick road. There was lots of running and hustling and sliding involved in that Gator Chase. He slept for an entire day after that one.
            “During another escape that took place on one of the hottest summer days, Gator headed for a nearby creek. He was around 10 at the time and tired quickly. My roommate found him wallowing around on the muddy creek bed in the shade. And when she found him, he acted as if he couldn’t walk (this was a patented Gator trick when he knew he was in trouble).
            “As she tried to drag him back home, a group of neighborhood kids spotted her heaving an uncooperative large dog and said, ‘Hey, lady, put him in our wheelbarrow!’
            “ She wheeled him a quarter of a mile home with a gaggle of kids in tow. Gator must have felt like the Pied Piper.
            “There were other great escapes – the time he visited a friend’s lake house and managed to slip out of his harness in under 10 minutes (he jovially returned a few hours later and stuck close for the rest of our visit).
            “After I moved to Little Forest Hills in East Dallas, Gator was older and slower, but he still liked to ‘go walkabout’ when the chance presented itself. There were several times that cars of neighbors traversed the neighborhood looking and calling for him. Like clockwork, as soon as he was caught he’d act like he couldn’t walk – sneaky fellow.
            “In between the escapes, there were lots of walks and occasionally a jaunt to the country where he could run and swim to his heart’s content on a friend’s land. He loved those visits.
            “At home, Gator was as laid back as could be. He loved eating and lounging. He was a master napper but was also sly when it came to stealing cheeseburgers from your hand.
            “He enjoyed watching me make dinner, always on the lookout for a fallen morsel. Soon after he was adopted, he figured out that the comfiest bed in the house was the bed his person slept in. I would often wake up to an ear full of snores and ¼ of a pillow – the rest of it occupied by Gator, of course.
            “Throughout my dating career he usually warmed up to the nice guys and ignored those who would prove themselves otherwise.
            “After a teary phone call that signaled the end of a relationship, Gator came over to the spot on the floor where I was lying and laid next to me for hours.
            “When I started dating Dave four years ago, Gator quickly dumped me and pledged allegiance to Dave. While my feelings were a little hurt, I took it as a sign that Dave was a good guy and it proved to be true. Gator became Dave’s dog just as much as he was mine.
            “They enjoyed many quality naps together and during Gator’s twilight years, Dave would often put all of the other dogs in the backyard and keep Gator inside to ply him with extra treats and solo attention.
            “As the double digit years progressed, Gator’s escape attempts tapered off. He liked snagging a warm spot in front of the fire place or a cool spot in front of the AC box unit – depending on the season.
            “He was a good friend to his Jack Russell/Beagle/Bird Dog sidekick, Lady Bird Johnson, and tolerated the other dogs who we’ve taken in over the years. He was gentle with the puppies and ambivalent when it came to the older dogs. He was passionate about eating and you could always tell that mealtime was drawing near as Gator’s panting grew louder and louder.
            “The spark never went out from his eyes and whenever he saw the nail clippers come out, his Houdini instincts still kicked in. He was kind, patient, observant and quite clever.  I’ve never had a happier dog. He was magic indeed.”
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