Herschel J. Barkington, Esq. 1994-2009

Even though it happened days ago, my dad broke the news to me just last night - Hershey has died and gone to doggy heaven.

Dad said he hadn't been doing well lately, and had the warm weather just come a week earlier, he may have made it a while longer. 

Hershey lived his 15 long years outside, so even though others may have thought it cruel, he didn't know another life and seemed to be a happy dog most of the time. He was healthy for years, and never appeared to get sick until one year he started having seizures. That was a scary time. I was always afraid to check on him, for fear he might be dead. We treated every day like it could be his last. After a visit to the vet and a week or so of recooperation, we discovered that he had come in contact with some insect repellent and it had been poisoning him. He recovered quickly when we removed all traces of that stuff, and he was healthy again. That was one or two years ago. 

This year, near the end, it became harder for him to cope in the cold weather. His old body wasn't absorbing nutrients like it should have. To help him out, my dad started feeding him lower-grade steaks, which he loved. He continued losing weight but still got that look in his eye and panted happily whenever he would have a visitor. Still, I could see the strain it was putting on my dad...

We were in the process of trying to move him over to my new place, where he could have stayed inside until the weather warmed up. With my dad spending most of his days tinkering over at the house, at least he would have been near a friend. But when my dad finally decided to pack Hershey up and take him over, he appeared too weak to be moved. He was always afraid of riding in vehicles anyway. 

My dad checked on him one last time the day he died before heading to my place to work. He had developed sores over the last few days from refusing to get out of his doghouse, so my dad tried to doctor them. When he returned from my house, Hershey lay in his, calm and peaceful. I can't imagine how hard it was on my dad, and all I can think of is how the poor puppy died alone.

I regret that I hardly visited him these past few years. When I did, he would 'roo and wag his tail like crazy. I would pet his head and he would walk in circles - he preferred to be petted on his back. I remember his cry when I had to walk away... that will haunt me for a long time, but maybe I deserve it. 

Luckily, he had a constant companion in my dad. My dad did his tinkering right next to Hershey's home. He had a lawn chair set up out there where he would take his breaks and play with him. Boy, did they love each other.

I hope Hershey had a decent life and I hope he is peaceful and happy wherever he is. 

RIP baby puppy. We're sorry things could have been better for you and we will miss you like crazy. *Tears*