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I would give my life to get his back. I miss him so.

This will make you cry (in a good way)

In Memory of Dusty

Dusty, my best friend born what I believe is July 4th, 1986 and died in my arms October 11, 2001

Dusty was my life. Everything I did was because of him. I quit my job, to take one closer to home. Dusty had his own doggy door, but he preferred to still want to come in thru the patio door. He only drank refrigerated purified water, except when swimming at the lake. He was so smart and loving, around humans, dogs, cats, kids, infants too.

He was a weekly visitor to a retirement home, they would all gather around the dayroom waiting for Pet-time with Dusty Saturday afternoons. He had the run of the place, except for the restaurant. He was so gentle with everyone there. They just loved him there.

He was my everything, and I was his. We lived in several different homes during his first five years. The last 10 years in only one. He and I even lived in a hotel for six months while rebuilding our house after a major fire. He would sit and watch TV during the day while I was at work. At night or on weekends, I would sit on my recliner and right next to me, Dusty had his own soft and comfortable chair. He and I would sit side by side.

I had a TV in the bedroom. In bed, I would have my left hand on a remote control, and my right hand petting him. To me that was heaven. I know he enjoyed it a lot too. While at work, I had a webcam on him during the day, and would catch a peak at him from my work computer, via the internet through the website www.321cam.com. At night he always slept on the bed with me. I can't sleep without him.

He had 3 bouts of cancer and no expense or treatment was spared on him. He always took his treatment and examinations with a smile and a kiss.

In the winter in Minnesota, we would go for a walk in the snow. Dusty would usually wear his snow boots. What was great about it is that I would see a car go by and the driver would be frowning, but as soon as they saw Dusty prancing in his boots, the drivers face would light up and they would smile. I bet that made their day.

I did not know that the end was coming. But it so happened that the last week together was a very busy and fun one. He went to my office one day, and several people who only heard of him, came over and said hi.

Dusty was getting a little finicky with eating his normal food so one night for dinner he had a couple hamburgers from Wendy's, and another night he had a couple roast beef sandwiches from Arby's. We went for a couple long walks. And then one morning he suffered a stroke, or kidney failure. I was hugging and kissing him at the end as he died in my arms.

This is the hardest thing that I have ever gone through. My house is now so empty. I don't hear his toenails on the kitchen floor. I don't see and feel him dropping a toy at my feet. I don't hear him eating his dinner. I miss him more than anything else in the world. If I could, I would gladly give my life up for him. I would trade my soul to have him back for a little more time.

Thank you for reading Dusty's Story at http://www.allhomebased.com/DustyAndTheRainbowBridge.htm

Sincerely, Steve Cook



More Pictures of Dusty (some wearing his snow boots)
http://www.321cam.com/misc/PersonalPages/DigitalPics InFrames/All3Frames.htm

Early Pictures of Dusty (including as a tiny puppy)
http://www.321cam.com/misc/PersonalPages/ScannedPics InFrames/All3Frames.htm

Pictures of Dusty and the 2 firemen (that saved his life in a fire)
http://www.321cam.com/misc/PersonalPages/heroes.htm

Dusty's Original Page
http://www.321cam.com/misc/PersonalPages/Dustysmainpag e/DustysmainpageContent.htm

I finally have another golden retriever and you can see her own webcam on the internet by...
a. going to www.nannycam.net
b. logging in
c. in the search box near the top, type puppy
d. click on one of the PuppyCam's (both are Tessa) Tessa's picture

Dusty saved my life on July 4th, 2005

Dusty
A great friend of mankind
He is a golden retriever and was born July 4th, 1986 - Went over the Rainbow Bridge Oct 11, 2002

I, Dusty's parent and caregiver was just started heating up a grill in the back yard in July 1995.
Usually I let it heat up for 5-10 minutes.

This fateful day I started up the grill, and went downstairs for a 5 minutes cooling down as it was a hot day. But this one day something happened to the hose that carried the gas as it must have split and started spewing out flame and fire. The house caught fire BUT I did not know it as I just turned on the BBQ grill 5 minutes earlier and went downstairs to cool off from this hot July day.

Dusty came downstairs, cried, then went upstairs and cried. He did this a couple times, so I thought he just wanted out. By the time I got upstairs that whole end of the house was on fire.

If not for Dusty coming downstairs and letting me know something was wrong, I would have been trapped downstairs and might have died. Anyway we both got out ok and while I was running out the front door with Dusty I called 911 and yelled "Fire Fire Fire" and dropped the phone without hanging it up.

Within a few minutes the first fire truck arrived with its lights and siren. The firemen propped open the front door and went in with their hoses. Without me knowing Dusty got scared of the fire trucks and sirens and ran back into the house during the height of the fire.

2 Lake Johanna firemen saved Dusty. Paula found Dusty in a lower level shower.
Paul and Paula carried him out. Dusty did suffer smoke inhalation but survived without any permanent damage. He is over 15 years old and still doing good.

Dusty and I presented the plaques to the fire department in their annual retirement party. There were a couple hundred people there and also they had just got done eating. Dusty went from person to person and table to table saying hi to everyone.

PS: For a couple years, Dusty and I would visit a retirement home and Dusty would have free run of the place. The retired men and women loved Dusty and sometimes would cry as they petted Dusty because they would start remembering their own best friend like Dusty.

See the pictures of the firemen who saved Dusty's life at this webpage
http://www.321cam.com/misc/PersonalPages/heroes.htm