Farewell my little man

Rusty (pedigree unknown)
27 July 1999 to 29 April 2010
10 years, 9 months


Rusty was my first cavalier and my introduction to the breed.  He was purchased from a pet store, but he never made it to the window having been flown in from Melbourne several hours before I picked him up. Rusty was supposed to be a Blenheim female, and I was presented with a ruby male. I'd never heard of the rubies before, let alone seen one, and I actually wasn't too sure about him on first sight. However, all it took was for someone who was in the store at the time to say "ooh, he's cute - he wasn't in the window - if you don't want him, I'll have him" for me to decide that he was coming home with me.

Rusty had a lot of little quirks, and outside of his own four walls he didn't have what I would call a true cavalier temperament, but at home he was an absolute joy to own and was definitely king of his castle.

Rusty was extremely timid and didn't like other dogs. In fact, so bad was his fear when he was younger that it took 3 attempts to pass basic obedience. He dug his little paws in and wouldn't move if there were other dogs around. Needless to say we didn't go any further than basic.

Rusty's confidence did improve as he got older though, and I'm sure it was due to Amber coming to live with us when he was just short of 2 years old. Amber, being the outgoing girl that she was gave him a new found confidence and he continued to blossom over the years. I'm sure the time he spent with Amber over the years helped enormously when I introduced Ricky as a puppy in June 2009.  In fact, I couldn't believe how incredibly patient he was with Ricky, especially as Ricky kept jumping on Rusty and pulling on his ears.  Rusty put up with a lot, but he did rule with an iron paw.

In his youth, Rusty was my fetch monster. He'd play 24/7 if you let him. I look back and laugh to think that I was worried initially that he wouldn't play fetch with me. Even in later years, Rusty loved a game of fetch, although the sessions weren't as quick and didn't last as long.  In fact, even in his last hours, Rusty decided a game of fetch was in order. The photo above was our very last game together, and I also have a wonderful little video of it that I will cherish forever.

Rusty was healthy for most of his life. He went deaf when he was about 8 years old, and he was still heart clear on his passing, just short of 11 years. Unfortunately, he suffered from arthritis and it was because of the pain associated with this that I made the decision to end his suffering and have him put to sleep.  It was a heart-wrenching decision, but I know it was the right one. Rusty had given me so much over the years - he was a faithful companion and was always there for me, wanting nothing but a cuddle and a game of fetch. Ending his suffering was the least I could do for him.

On Rusty's last day he had all the things he liked, and as much as he wanted for breakfast. There were no portion sizes to worry about. I was sent home early from work so that I could spend some time with him, and we sat having cuddles, shared an ice cream and had that very important game of fetch.  The look on his face when I bought out that little ball for him was one of absolute joy, so I know he passed on a very happy boy.

I stayed with Rusty until the very end. Making the decision to end his suffering and letting him go while he still had some dignity is the most humane thing I could have done for my little man. I was amazed at how quick and incredibly peaceful the process was.

Run free little man. Chase as many balls as you want and be an absolute noodle. You are now with your little buddy Amber again and free of pain. Ricky and I miss you, but we'll never forget you. Until we meet again.