Casey Jones 1992 - 2008

We had to put Casey, our Wheaten Terrier who we loved for 16 years, down this week. This is a post from my son, Zach, which says it all.

Casey, my dog of 16 years, passed away yesterday morning. I don't want anybody's sympathy--I know these kinds of notes can be read as a plea for attention, but I don't desire that. I just want to write about what I remember about a dog that has been in my family since I was five years old.

To put it lightly, Casey had a quirky personality. Of all the Wheaten puppies we saw at the breeder in Connecticut, the one with the orange collar stood out to us. While the other puppies were quiet and reserved, Casey was very energetic, kissing us and just had a very strong personality. So it was Casey we chose. I remember the first thing he did (other than taking a shit in the basket we put him in) was he ran around the house and woke my dad up. In the winter time, he would grab our gloves off and throw them in the snow.

The negative side of Casey's personality was his aggressiveness. He was very territorial and did bite on occasions. My grandmother can certainly attest to that (note: never try to take food from a dog). But we still loved him and over the years, he stopped being so aggresive. Even as he reached the age of 13, he was still the same as he was when he was younger, if a bit more lethargic. He also started to lose his hearing. But even at 15, the vets told us he still had a strong heart and was very healthy. But as he progressed later into that age, he started to deterioate. He would wander around the house, unsure of where he was at times. And when he hit 16 this October, it was clear he didn't have much longer. I just hoped I would have been able to see him one more time. I wanted him to hold on for another week, but he had held on long enough.

Dogs are amazing creatures. My mom was telling me that my other dog, Beauty, was very attentive when it came to Casey's well-being. She would wake my mother up at night when Casey was having a seizure. And when she paid attention to casey (which would normally upset Beauty) she just sat there, very subdued. It's clear Beauty knew what was going on. Although I will miss Casey tremendously, I will never forget all the happiness he has bought to our lives.

Comments

[Kristin Davis]

Zach, Rob, and the rest of the Halper clan, I am so sorry about your loss. Casey sounds like he was an awesome dog and an important part of your family.

I lost the dog I grew up with while I was in college (he was 16 years old) and it was devastating, like a part of my childhood died. Hold onto those great memories.

[robhalper]

Thanks, Kristin, for your lovely comment. It takes another dog lover, and a special person, to relate the loss of such a loyal companion. We appreciate your thoughts.

Rob