In Loving Memory of Georgee

Born December 13, 2000

Over the Bridge May 2, 2009

I usually reserve this blog for vegan food related entries, but I felt I needed to post this.

Georgee came into my life at 6 weeks old when we weren't quite ready for each other yet. He was full of piss and vinegar from the start. He wouldn't sleep for more than two hours at a time. When he was awake, he wasn't a mushy gushy fluff ball. Oh no, he had way too much spirit for that. He would bite and fight until he was exhuasted. His serious cuteness allowed him to survive these horrible puppy years. In those days he loved to dig up plants, eat carpeting, and look right at me and pee as if to let me know HE would decide when he was ready to stop trashing the carpet and when potty training would be complete. He would learn a command almost instantly, and then defiantly ignore silly human requests to do them on command. Typical Akita defiance was part of what made him such an incredible spirit.

As Georgee grew into a young man, he became the most wonderful companion I could have ever hoped for. He was very independent and aloof, as Akitas can be, but he was also goofy, loving, and incredibly intellegent. As a young man, he had a serious obsession with running through the sprinklers and going right to the muddy lake at the dog park. He would sit patiently as we de-mudded him with the hose when we got home (obviously the joy of the mud bath was worth the real bath).

He would "woo woo" to greet you when you walked in the door (if you were lucky enough to be one of his special humans). He rarely woke you up, but waited for you to acknowledge his kingly presence before gracing you with a morning "woo woo". This has been the hardest part for Fred and I so far. We both fall apart when we get up or come home and it is so quiet. He filled our lives with joy and fun. There is a huge gaping hole in our hearts and our home without him.

Georgee loved his furry buddies, Duval and Henry, who passed over the bridge before him. They taught him how to be a good dog and where the best spots to pee in the yard were. He was extremely patient and understanding of other rowdy beasts. His girlfriend Piper loved to fight with him and bite his back legs. Instead of chasing her off or clobbering her when it got to be too much, he would just sit down so she couldn't get to his legs. He would act all tough, but never, ever, hurt her. Their love for each other was unconditional, as was his love for everyone.

He developed wonderful manners but still kept that little sparkle of naughtiness throughout his whole life. You could never stay mad at him long even if he did eat your last stick of butter off the counter. You see, it was at nose height, you certainly left if for him to snack on, didn't you? Just last week, Fred came home and found that Georgee had found yet another delicacy; a small piece of garlic bread in the center of a balled up piece of aluminum foil. To Fred's amazement, somehow Georgee had unwrapped the entire ball, ate the bread, and neatly licked all of the foil into nice flat pieces all over the floor.

Fred and Georgee liked to keep some of this nauty behavior their little secret. They developed a very deep special relationship that was one to be envied. You know you've found a good man when your dog falls completely in love with him. Georgee knew Fred was special and that he had a very soft spot in his heart for those of the canine persuasion. Georgee knew how to work Fred. He'd stroll over to Fred and rub his head all over his lap. He'd look at him with those deep brown eyes and cock his eyebrows and Fred was a goner. This worked quite often for spontaneous rides around the neighborhood or a trip over to AJ's for treats. Georgee loved his outings with both Fred and me. He'd get all hurt if the humans that walked by him on our outings didn't say hello. Seriously, you could see his confusion. It was so funny.

We tried hiking together. He was good for about 2 miles. He'd stop, just stop, at one particular spot at South Mountain. It was easy to get him going again usually. The funniest thing ever on our hikes was that Georgee was certain that the shadow from a small stick could provide shade to his 100 lb body. He'd promptly stop at a stick certain he was going to get some cool shade. Hilarious.

Georgee was diagnosed with a very serious auto-immune disease 5 years ago. Most dogs don't survive for very long once they are diagnosed. If they do, they are usually blind within a year. With his usual defiance, Georgee beat the odds. He did so well. I was truly lucky to get all if the years with him that we had. He had lost all of the pigment in his retinas, but could still see. He was pretty darn healthy and happy until a few days ago. He wasn't himself and was in obvious discomfort. The x-rays showed a tumor on his spleen that was bleeding out. With his advanced age and auto-immune issues, it is likely he wouldn't have survived after surgery. It was with very heavy hearts but with Georgee's best interest at heart that we had to let him go. He is now free to be the big goof ball we love. He will be able to run free with his buddies Duval, Henry, Kota, and Tai with no pain and full eye sight.

To say that we are going to miss him is the biggest understatement EVER! Please forgive me if I don't answer your calls right now. I have good moments and bad. The bad moments I just can't bear to talk about it. Know that I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. When I can, I will be in touch.

I could go on and on about so many wonderful memories and stories of Georgee. If you met him, you were truly blessed and you know what a special spirit he had. It seems so unfair that he had to leave this Earth so soon. But how incredible it was to be lucky enought to have him in our lives. Please, please feel free to leave comments and your own Georgee stories here. I know he would love to hear from you.

Love Kim