Jethro

Wednesday, 5th October, was a hard hard day. My magnificent Rottweiler, Jethro, was 12 years and 4 months old. He had osteosarcoma which presented on his left hind leg just above his foot. When I first noticed it about 7 weeks ago it was the size of a small hen's egg. By the time I got him to the vet two days later, it was as big as a large hen's egg. This is a very aggressive disease. The only treatment is amputation, followed by chemo & radiotherapy; and there was no way I would put him through such suffering. So, I brought him home and hoped we'd have some more time together. He mooched along OK, spending most of his time inside with me. He'd go out for a pee around 11pm, then settle down for the night. I'd get up and let him out at daylight and then he'd get into his Hilton Hotel kennel for a few hours and wait for me to get up. He always got out of his kennel to greet me and help feed the chooks and horse. He still liked to get around the property a bit, bark at anyone who dared to get to close to our boundary fences and just let the world in general know he was still on active duty. Whenever I reached my left hand down, there was his head pressed hard against my left knee. On Wednesday morning, he didn't get out of his kennel - even when I called him. He didn't come with me to feed the chooks. I knew he was feeling miserable. The tumour on his leg was now grotesque and, for the first time, he couldn't take any weight on that leg. I rang the vet, organised to pick up some sedation and we took him for his last ride in the car.

Not long after I first got Jethro, I started working with Juvenile Offenders. One of them thought I'd written a negative report about him to the sentencing Magistrate and he threatened to blow up our house [they all knew where I lived, of course!]. We took this threat seriously as that young man had burned down two schools in the area; and he was violent. So, I trained Jethro to the max of his awesome guarding ability. Most people who met him, hated him ... because they were afraid of him. There were only four people on this earth whom he would allow to touch him. Everyone else was seen as a threat and Jethro really was a force to be reckoned with. I always felt safe. Our property and belongings were safe.

Jethro was the seventh Rottweiler I have had in my life and he will be the last. He & I were fiercely devoted to each other. He was gentle with us; loving, funny and playful. He was 100% obedient for me. He did not disobey me ~ not even once.

My heart is aching. I keep thinking I hear him in the house. Why isn't his head there, pressed against my leg? His soft, velvety ears? I miss him dreadfully. My protector, my companion, my loving friend ...