Ceasar

As a child I remember thinking, "when I grow up, one day I will own a Borzoi!" Many years later, thanks to NBRF, on January 9, 2008 my dream came true. I do not know much about Caesar's first 5 years but I do know the last 5+ years of his life, Dennis and I treated him like royalty. He was by no means perfect by breed standards but to me he was, and always will be. He had a long scar on his nose and about ? a tail that was bent. When NBRF sent me his rescue picture he was a dirty, matted mess. The day he arrived I was scared and nervous at the commitment I had made and hoped I was not getting in over my head. As soon as he hopped out of the van he came right over, stood next to me and leaned on me. Needless to say, I was immediately smitten. Caesar was a dream come true in so many ways. Not a day went by that he didn't make me smile, laugh and just marvel at his beauty. There were days on our walks when the sunlight would hit him in such a way that he seemed to glow. I would just stand back in amazement. When the wind fell upon him I would marvel at how his fur moved; he was standing still and moving at the same time. Caesar insisted our couch was his throne. If Dennis was on Caesar's couch Caesar would give him a look, make him get up and move across the room so he could get on the couch. Once Caesar was comfortable he would allow Dennis back on the couch but not a moment sooner. Who had who trained? In the winter he would get so excited when there was snow and would bury his face in it and eat and eat it like it was the finest dog treat ever. In the summer he would lay on the grass and sunbathe looking longingly up to the sun.

When I let him out in the backyard he would not stay out there unless he could see me. As soon as I moved away from the sliders he would come running. I always had to be in his line of sight both outside and inside. Caesar loved his ear rubs and his "bony butt" rubs and would almost purr like a cat. The only time he really made any noise was when he was "dream running." He loved to nudge the starfish I have into the bathtub every single day. Oh, how we loved our walks. I would make up songs to sing him all the time. One was called "a 1,000 kisses for Caesar." He only showed affection in private or on walks. Caesar and I became neighborhood celebrities and he eventually made a few dog friends and I made many. The amount of strangers that would stop to tell me he was beautiful still shocks me to this day. Friends and family would call at Christmas demanding his holiday picture if I did not include one with their holiday card. He would keep his distance with strangers, however when we went to visit family at an assisted living home he was a different dog. The residents could pet him with no problem at all, he showed no fear and it was obvious he loved it. .In November he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma and our life changed. I was beside myself with despair. I was well versed in the signs and symptoms of all the dreaded large breed health concerns. How had I never heard of this? Caesar hid it very well. I was the only one seeing the limp in the morning and frankly, many people thought I was overly worried about him all the time. Had Dennis not insisted the vet take a shoulder x-ray how much more would he have suffered? By the time they had a diagnosis our vet said that his pain threshold was off the charts. I will never forget how he ever so gently lay his head down on my shoulder one evening when I was crying, something he had never done before. I immediately felt a sense of peace with our decision. As I researched the disease I stumbled across a service called Lap of Love. The thought of taking him to the vet again was not an option, he dreaded it so. Thanks to Lap of Love, Caesar passed peacefully, on his throne/couch, on 11/10/13, with Dennis and I giving him love and kisses. That day I made sure I gave him 1,000 kisses and then some.
I will be forever grateful to Lorene, Bob, Mary, Charles and of course, Carol for making my dream possible. Thank you to all who may have been involved whose name I do know. He will always be my heart hound, I will always be his person and I will miss him forever.

RIP Caesar 12/30/02 - 11/10/13