by Dorothy Baum

Created on: March 05, 2010   Last Updated: May 12, 2010

I’d like to start out the memoir to my beloved Yorkshire terrier, Morton, with a bit of prose I found (of all places, on a coffee mug) that struck a strong chord and brought me to tears.

“He is your friend, your partner, your defender,
your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last
beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be

worthy of such devotion.” Anonymous

At the time I bought that piece of ceramic, Morton was then ten years old. Those words got me to thinking, “How will I deal with Morton’s death?” I couldn’t answer my own question, but it did pull me even closer to my fur-ever companion. I began to realize how much that little nine pound dog kept me going through all the hardships life and fate delivered me into.

I came by Morton from my son almost thirteen years ago. My son being a young man then, was still interested in partying and girls. A two month old puppy can be a big inconvenience when it comes to matters of a young man’s heart. So, I ended up puppy-sitting on the weekends.  Long story short, Morton bonded with me and essentially became my dog; to be with me for the long haul.

He traveled with me, via automobile, from California to Virginia, where I went through a bad marriage that ended with my husband’s death. I then  got with a man who took advantage of me and my financial status,  who ultimately left me destitute and put me out of the home we were sharing. We returned to California by the request of my estranged children. Sadly, the children turned away from me. Through out it all, Morton was always there to perk me up, make me smile and give my life meaning.

Fast forward to January 1, 2010. Morton was having a nasty bout with diarrhea due to tapeworms from a particularly bad season with fleas. After three days, he wasn’t improving. I took him to the San Francisco SPCA Veterinary Center, the only place I could afford on my limited income. They put him on antibiotics, re-hydrated him, did a blood panel and sent him home.

The call came the next day and was not good. Morton's blood showed elevated renal (kidney) values, increased liver enzymes. An Ultrasound was ordered; the results of that were heart-dropping. It showed chronic kidney disease with a possible UTI, an enlarged liver with a small mass, an abnormal gallbladder, and a adrenal mass.

How could Morton have gone so long with all these maladies and not show any outward

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>