Dachshund Rescue of North America
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Emerson (Emmy)
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Story submitted 2010-06-11
After a couple of years with no dog, I finally had my fill. We were getting a dog. Our daughter - just turned 6 at the time - wanted a dachshund because she knew one from the neighborhood. Yolanda graciously brought 3 to our house on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. One IMMEDIATELY took off after the cat, one hid under the couch and the third ran into the middle of the room, rolled onto his back and wiggled. He was ours. Emerson - Emmy as we called him - was then 10 or 11 according to the vet. My husband said he was 8 (wish it and it will be).

Emmy immediately settled into bed with Haley and that's where he slept every night. We would go in in the morning and he'd be on his back (often snoring) with her arm thrown over him. He was the best balanced most affectionate dog ever to grace the earth. His (and my) favorite thing to do was sit in a chair together, he was an amazing snuggle bunny. Hated storms - they made him nervous and he simply couldn't be still.

When we got a boat last year, Emmy was the unofficial co-captain. He loved the boat (not so much the life jacket). He would roam back to front - sometimes doing his best Kate Winslet in Titanic impression - other times lounging on the cushion in the back.

Recently, he'd slowed down and at our son's college graduation, he (son) commented that Emmy appeared bloated. When we took him to the vet, it was determined he had congestive heart and kidney failure. We brought him home for whatever time he had left. The new house rule was there were no rules; if he wanted it, he got it. On major meds twice daily, initially, he'd eat them in his food but that soon waned. By the end of the second week, he was barely eating anything. We took him to the lake but no more boat rides for Emmy. Saturday, he took a turn for the worse - breathing heavily, unable to get comfortable - by that night, my husband sat up with him most of the night just giving him loves. Sunday, we decided to come home a day early to put him out of his misery.

On the drive home, we had sheets on the floor near the cool air for him. Instead, he got in Haley's lap (a last goodbye) then insisted on getting in the back seat. Just before we got home, I looked back and realized he was gone. We put him in a box lined with sheets and said our goodbyes. The next morning, my husband took him to be cremated at a WONDERFUL facility in Chantilly, VA.

We've now brought a new doxie into our home - not to replace Emmy but to carry on his legacy. The most important thing to us was that Emerson knew he was loved. And my, how he WAS loved. RIP Emerson.

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