PAUL E. WOOTTEN
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The Chloe Farewell Tour

4/18/2018

12 Comments

 
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​I didn’t want a dog.
 
Robin wanted a dog. The kids wanted a dog.
 
Not me.
 
“I’ll be the one who winds up walking and feeding it,” I protested.
 
That was twelve years ago. For the most part, I was right. The kids are on their own now. Robin does baths, but I do most of the walking, feeding, and trips to the groomer.
 
Next week, I’ll take Chloe for our last walk, and I’m choking up as I write this.
 
Chloe became ours after another family purchased her from the breeder, then returned her. From the beginning, she was different. Her first week with us, she freed herself from her kennel while we were gone. We came home to find her lounging on the sofa, waiting for company. No accidents, no chewed furniture. When the same thing happened two days later, we got rid of the kennel and left Chloe free to roam the house. She never made us regret that decision.
 
She loves car and airplane trips, our back yard in Kansas City, and Bradenton’s warm weather and birds. She visits our neighbors, Carol and Joe, and devours their cat food when they’re not looking. She breakdances and rolls over for treats, intuits when we’re going to the vet or groomer, and will do anything for a puppy cone at Culver’s. She’ll come running when we say treat and run away when we say bath. She watches TV and barks at animals on the screen, even the cartoon kind.
 
When Chloe was still young, she loved for us to drop her off at the end of our dead-end street so she could run home. All we had to say was, “You want to run?” and she’d go nuts. Robin used to have a basket on the front of her bike that Chloe rode in. She was a true queen.
 
We found out last year that Chloe has Cushing’s Disease. Now she sleeps most of the time, has trouble breathing, and struggles to control her bladder. Her tummy is distended and she can’t get enough water. Occasionally, though, the old Chloe will reappear, like last week when she went to her toy pile, pulled out a favorite, and brought it to me. She’s slipping away from us, though, so this morning the decision was made to… well, you know.
 
The next eight days will be our Chloe Farewell Tour. We have a quick trip planned to Savannah, Georgia. She’ll go along for one more joyous car ride. Robin has replaced dog food with hamburger. We’ll have puppy cones at Culvers, belly-rubs on the couch, walks as long and far as she wants, and lots of time to say good-bye.
 
Then we’ll make that last trip to the vet.
 
I guess I wanted a dog after all, because I’m sure going to miss this one.
Postscript, April 19, 2019: Chloe wasn't able to complete the entire tour. It was the morning of the third day, in Savannah, when her condition worsened and we had to seek out a local vet. Robin was holding Chloe when the end came, and though I'm writing this a full year later, the memory brings tears.  We will adopt another dog someday. If it was Robin's decision to make alone, we would have one now, but frequent travel and our work has led us to put off the inevitable. 

We are having a thunderstorm as I write this, and all these months later, the first thing that comes to mind when I see a flash of lightning and hear the crack of thunder is that I need to check on Chloe. 

Give your puppy a hug for us.

12 Comments
Sally Werner link
4/18/2018 11:51:47 am

What a beautiful tribute to Chloe. She was so lucky to be a Wootten. I hope we hear more about the Chloe Farewell Tour as it unfolds. Our Ginger is almost ten years old and in good health, but I dread her farewell tour. David will be devastated.

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Charlotte Brady
4/18/2018 01:15:20 pm

Feeling your joy over your dog and your pain during the goodbye. I had the same trip this last January with my dog, Pooter, about the same age as yours. I then rescued another dog at the end of January and named him Peabody, but I kept slipping and calling him Pooter, so that is his name now because it stuck with him. Totally different kind of dog, but beautiful and loving. So I'm still a Mama to a Pooter baby.

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Catherine Kemp Demers
4/18/2018 02:05:50 pm

Her last days will be wonderful because of her parents.
My heart goes out to you as I know after loosing my Titan to congestive heart failure in January.
Our fur babies are so much a part of our families
Be sweet dear Chloe and know that you are loved ..

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Gwendolyn Freytag Zumalt
4/18/2018 03:14:42 pm

Dear Paul and Robin, Chloe was both blessed by her adoption into your family and a blessing! Her farewell trip will be a memory you shall treasure. Funny how God selects gifts for her us that we never thought we wanted only to find out that gift was just exactly whatevs that we needed. Chloe was that unwanted gift that turned out tobe a treasure fit for a King! Give Robin a big hug for me and please know you are all in my thoughts and prayers!

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Donna Harden
4/18/2018 03:59:01 pm

Your message brought tears to my eyes. Your dog was super lucky to have you both in her life. My senior cat Nike is 16 and is diabetic and takes aspirin every three days and I have to hire a pet sitter when I travel but I would not change a thing about him or my life. Hugs coming your way and I also am anxious to hear about the farewell tour.

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Pam Tiben Ridenhour
4/18/2018 05:37:17 pm

We'll all be grieving with you.

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Brenda Noland
4/18/2018 05:42:38 pm

I am so sorry to hear about Your Chloe. I have lost many dogs in my lifetime. It never gets better -each goodbye is as bad as the rest. What a lucky girl she is to have found you as her family. She is gonna have a great week and I will be following her final escapades. Cheers to Chloe!!

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Katie Walker
4/19/2018 06:30:36 am

Beautiful story

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Melanie Trice
4/19/2018 10:24:14 am

Oh Paul, I am so sorry! Chloe has had an amazing life, you were the best family for her! We have a Pom, and we love her just like this! This is such a beautiful tribute to her! Prayers, love and hugs to you all!

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Richard Norris
4/23/2018 12:30:42 pm

So sorry. I have one that is getting closer to that time every day. She doesn't get around as well as she did and sleeps most of the time. I've had to do what you're about to and don't look forward to doing it again either. Chloe was fortunate to find you and Robin and I'm sure repaid your love with lots of her own.

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Margaret Ray
4/19/2019 06:01:07 pm

This was a sweet story. So sorry for your loss.. You have the best writing skills. I can say "I knew him when"..

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Gloria Sudlet
4/19/2019 06:27:23 pm

Dear Paul,, this touched me today. My heart goes out to you and your wife. We took our 14 year old Shih Tzu to the best today. They told us it’s a matter of time but just make her comfortable. Our hearts are breaking. We have to tell the grands cause they love her.

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Paul E. Wootten
Grebey Creek Publishing
Lakewood Ranch, Florida
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