To our BHRA friends and family:
It is with a heavy heart that I write this email. Last night Bubba suddenly lost all control of his nervous system and we decided to send him to the bridge. I thought for sure there would be warning signs and we would have more time, but he was fine one moment and the next he could only wag his tail softly and moan.
We called our wonderful vets at about 2 am and we met at the clinic. Bubba got a shot to make him sleepy first, and then we said a tearful goodbye. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The vet told us that they have never seen a dog last six months with lymphoma on only prednazone. That is how strong our boy was. Being a young married couple our dogs have taken on the role of our kids. We were so lucky to have such a wonderful pet, companion, friend, and family member. We will miss him every single day but I know we will be together again. As much as Bubba was my dog he was even more my husband's. They rarely went anywhere apart and he wrote something I have included below. Thank you for giving us Bubba. I hope everyone is as lucky as we were and is loved that unconditionally and honestly.
Justin's story:
Like all of our pets, Bubba Gump was special. When we got him 3 ½ years ago at the Wal-mart parking lot in Chelsea , I was apprehensive about fostering. It took 3 flea baths and a capstar pill to get him flea-free. He was described to me as a dog that loves men, and gets very attached. When he got adopted 4 months later, the people who adopted him returned him to me 1 week later, threatening to kill him if we didn't come get him & claiming he bit someone. I didn’t believe it then, and I don’t now. The night we got him back, we had to rush him to the vet and it was discovered that he had 10 rocks in his stomach. When the doctor said it was likely due to separation anxiety, I knew I had to adopt Bubba. I was the only pers
on he’d let touch his sore belly without grumbling. He trusted us with his safety. He had become a family member. We filed the adoption papers the next day.
Over the next 3 years, we solidified as a family. He followed me around everywhere I went. He was overly excited everyday when I got home from work. He stared at me all the time, waiting for me to move so that he could follow. He became the definition of loyalty. He brought so much joy to our lives that words cannot describe. He created a place for himself in our hearts that only he could fill.
As time rolled on, we realized he was much older than what we were told. Cold weather made him groan with arthritis, and his front teeth were worn down to nubs. His fear of thunder came to be understood when we noticed what seemed to be a scar from an old in-and-out gunshot wound on his belly. It seemed that he’d seen a lot before he came to us.
Last July, we learned that he had Lymphoma. His spleen was removed and a tumor was removed from his large intestine. The vet told us that he only had a few weeks to live. Against all odds, he lasted 5 ½ months. He wasn’t in much pain until the last 4 hours. We think he had a stroke, and we had to put him down (12/30/2010). As you can probably guess, we are distraught. Though we had prepared ourselves for that moment for months, we still fell to pieces.
He brought happiness to our home. He made me smile every day. He loved us for who we are, and would never have asked us to change. He taught me about loyalty.
I have no idea where he came from or what he went through before we met him, but I’m glad God gave us the opportunity to spoil him for the last 3 years of his life. We are lucky to have had such a dog. Though there is a huge void in our hearts now that he’s gone, we have nothing but happy memories of Bubba Gump.
To our Bubba Gump, Dubbers, Dubber Do!, and Mr. Man, we will miss you. We know you are running through fields with your 10 1/2 in ears flying around you, chasing rabbits, using your nose, and basking in the sunlight. We will see you again someday.
The King Family - Andrea, Justin, PeeWee, Sophie, and Stanley
It is with a heavy heart that I write this email. Last night Bubba suddenly lost all control of his nervous system and we decided to send him to the bridge. I thought for sure there would be warning signs and we would have more time, but he was fine one moment and the next he could only wag his tail softly and moan.
We called our wonderful vets at about 2 am and we met at the clinic. Bubba got a shot to make him sleepy first, and then we said a tearful goodbye. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The vet told us that they have never seen a dog last six months with lymphoma on only prednazone. That is how strong our boy was. Being a young married couple our dogs have taken on the role of our kids. We were so lucky to have such a wonderful pet, companion, friend, and family member. We will miss him every single day but I know we will be together again. As much as Bubba was my dog he was even more my husband's. They rarely went anywhere apart and he wrote something I have included below. Thank you for giving us Bubba. I hope everyone is as lucky as we were and is loved that unconditionally and honestly.Justin's story:
Like all of our pets, Bubba Gump was special. When we got him 3 ½ years ago at the Wal-mart parking lot in Chelsea , I was apprehensive about fostering. It took 3 flea baths and a capstar pill to get him flea-free. He was described to me as a dog that loves men, and gets very attached. When he got adopted 4 months later, the people who adopted him returned him to me 1 week later, threatening to kill him if we didn't come get him & claiming he bit someone. I didn’t believe it then, and I don’t now. The night we got him back, we had to rush him to the vet and it was discovered that he had 10 rocks in his stomach. When the doctor said it was likely due to separation anxiety, I knew I had to adopt Bubba. I was the only pers
on he’d let touch his sore belly without grumbling. He trusted us with his safety. He had become a family member. We filed the adoption papers the next day.Over the next 3 years, we solidified as a family. He followed me around everywhere I went. He was overly excited everyday when I got home from work. He stared at me all the time, waiting for me to move so that he could follow. He became the definition of loyalty. He brought so much joy to our lives that words cannot describe. He created a place for himself in our hearts that only he could fill.
As time rolled on, we realized he was much older than what we were told. Cold weather made him groan with arthritis, and his front teeth were worn down to nubs. His fear of thunder came to be understood when we noticed what seemed to be a scar from an old in-and-out gunshot wound on his belly. It seemed that he’d seen a lot before he came to us.
Last July, we learned that he had Lymphoma. His spleen was removed and a tumor was removed from his large intestine. The vet told us that he only had a few weeks to live. Against all odds, he lasted 5 ½ months. He wasn’t in much pain until the last 4 hours. We think he had a stroke, and we had to put him down (12/30/2010). As you can probably guess, we are distraught. Though we had prepared ourselves for that moment for months, we still fell to pieces.
He brought happiness to our home. He made me smile every day. He loved us for who we are, and would never have asked us to change. He taught me about loyalty.
I have no idea where he came from or what he went through before we met him, but I’m glad God gave us the opportunity to spoil him for the last 3 years of his life. We are lucky to have had such a dog. Though there is a huge void in our hearts now that he’s gone, we have nothing but happy memories of Bubba Gump.
To our Bubba Gump, Dubbers, Dubber Do!, and Mr. Man, we will miss you. We know you are running through fields with your 10 1/2 in ears flying around you, chasing rabbits, using your nose, and basking in the sunlight. We will see you again someday.
The King Family - Andrea, Justin, PeeWee, Sophie, and Stanley
