Some gotta win, some gotta lose . . . Good time Charlie's got the blues

Charley was born on November 15, 2003. He is a muscular dog that can run fast and jump very high. Charley is very friendly and playful. On a crisp October day in 2004, we became one of the 77.5 million people in the United States who owned dogs when we adopted Charley.

I think I missed a heartbeat when Charley raced into the middle of a busy street with cars approaching in each direction. Surely, this was the end of our one-week-old friendship.

Every year, between 6 and 8 million dogs and cats enter US animal shelters. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) estimates that approximately 3 to 4 million of those dogs and cats are euthanized yearly in the United States. When we entered the rescue home, Charley was excited to meet us. He was jumping up down so he could see over the door that had him confined to the kitchen. We had already seen pictures of Charley so I knew that if he was compatible with our children we would likely adopt him.

After a short visit, I contributed to the rescue and we adopted Charley. As we departed I noticed Charley's caretaker becoming emotional when she said goodbye. At this moment I knew we were getting a good dog. I'll never forget how frightened he became when it was time for him to go into our minivan. Charley curled up like a ball laying on the ground. His ears were down as he laid shaking. We had to carry him into the vehicle. My wife held him in the backseat as we made our voyage to Charley's new home.

We adopted Charley to fill a void that was missing in our family. My wife's mother had passed a few months prior and this had a deep effect on our children especially our youngest. Our oldest daughter is a lover of animals and was always beseeching us for a pet. Several of my son's playmates moved from our neighborhood, leaving him without a playmate. He entertained himself by throwing a ball against our house wall or running up and down our yard playing catch with himself. I envisioned a friend who would fetch his ball and greet him when he came home from school.

Charley's caretaker had warned us that he liked to sleep in the bed. I told her that I had a strict rule - no pets on the furniture. This quickly went out the window when Charley jumped into our bed and curled up beneath my feet. So much for strict rules. On a cold New Year's Eve our heater broke. Extra blankets on the bed simply did not do the job so I placed all twenty pounds of Charley in between my wife and me. I awoke in the middle of the night freezing my buns off. Charley, however, was warm and cozy. I think we were doing more to warm him than he was warming us.

Shortly after arriving home, Charley quickly learned who "top dog" was in the family. One of our children needed scolding which caused me to raise my voice. Afterwards I noticed that our dog approached me sheepishly with his ears down. He thought that my yelling was directly at him. I believe it was at this time that I became his master. From this time forward, Charley obeyed my commands -except on one occasion.

Ya play around, ya lose your wife . . . Ya play too long, you lose your life

A week after adopting Charley I made a huge mistake. I let Charley off his leash. I had taken him for a walk at the ball field. The field area is extremely large so I felt comfortable giving Charley a taste of freedom once we were a considerable distance from the road. When I released the dog, he stayed close by as if he did not realize he was off his leash. I tossed a tennis ball in his direction and he retrieved. He did not return it; however, I had to pursue him to get the ball back. After a few volleys, I noticed that the dog had lost interest in this game. When I tossed the ball, he no longer attempted to retrieve it. Instead, he decided to go on his own exploring expedition. I quickly realized it was time for the leash.

Although Charley was not running I could not get close enough to him to get the leash around his neck. The street was still a distance away so I was not yet concerned that he would venture into it. As I continued to pursue him the quicker, he moved. Surely, he would tire - I thought. My thoughts directed towards the road as Charley turned and started moving in that direction. There were a couple barriers before the road. A small hill surrounding a baseball-batting cage. My focus now became on cornering the dog in the batting cage. My plan seemed to be working as the dog jogged towards that direction.

When Charley entered the batting-cage, I thought I had him but he was smarter than I had given him credit. He entered the cage then changed directions eluding me. Now he was headed towards the hill. Surely, I thought, he would not have the presence of mind to climb the hill. I was wrong. He climbed the hill and was moving in the direction of the street. My van was parked before the street so I assumed that he would stop at the van waiting for a comfortable ride home. Wrong again! He was headed right for the street.

I think I missed a heartbeat when Charley raced into the middle of a busy street with cars approaching in each direction. Surely, this was the end of our one-week-old friendship. Charley did a dance in the middle of the street as cars swerved around him. The dog eluded the cars just as he had avoided me.

He crossed the street and strolled through a quiet neighborhood. My priority was to keep him from turning around and going back to the street. As I continued my quest, the thought occurred to me that I might not be able to catch him. How embarrassing it would be to report the shelter how I had lost the dog after only one week?

Finally, curiosity got the better of Charley as he ducked into a neighbors fenced in yard. He was barricaded. In spite of his predicament, he would not come to me. It was as if I was a stranger to him. Ironically, it was a stranger who was able to lure Charley into his arms when the homeowner approached him with a treat. Charley was collared and would always be on a leash when he left the safety of our back yard.

Upon reflection, I realized that this incident was totally my fault. The dog was still new to us and I had not yet established a relationship of trust. Afterwards I thanked God and said a prayer for Charley to live a normal happy life.

There's not a soul I know around . . . Everybody's leavin' town

In time, Charley and I would become close friends. He soon learned the family schedule. During the week, we all left in the morning and he would spend the day napping and waiting to bark at every dog's archenemy - the mail carrier. Whenever I took a day off from work, he would run into my room after everyone had left, stand on the side of the bed and lick my face. He was saying good morning.

Charley kept good company. I enjoy long walks, especially around Christmastime. After dinner strolls with Charley were a delightful way to experience Christmas lights and appreciate the various decorations of our neighbor's houses. The newest fad in Christmas décor are blow up decorations. One particular house features a blow up Santa that frightened Charley to the point where he would lay on the ground and I would have to drag him to get around it.

With Charley by my side, long walks were never dull. One afternoon we went on a family walk in the park. Unexpectedly a stray pit bull charged us. As the dog approached, I knew all bets were off. I released Charley from his leash. The two dogs met head on and a fight ensued. Pit bulls are strong dogs with powerful jaws. A bite from a pit bull is extremely hard to break from. As the fight continued, I frantically searched for a stick to help Charley. When I finally found one, the fight was over. Charley stood tall licking some minor wounds as his adversary trotted away, perhaps looking for a weaker opponent.

Some caught a freight, some caught a plane . . . Find the sunshine, leave the rain

When we got home, Charley was rewarded with one of his favorite treats and a warm bath. Our dog never really liked baths much. We would fill a large plastic tub with water and let it bake in the sun to warm. Someone would need to hold him or he would try to jump out. To rinse the soap from his hair I would squirt him with the hose. He hated this but it was necessary. As I applied the spray, Charley would run around the yard to no avail trying to escape the water. Afterwards he would roll in the grass attempting to dry himself then basking unde the sun.

Charley loves to chase squirrels. In the fall, squirrels visit our yard gathering nuts and seeds for the winter. When he spots one, he frantically gives chase. The squirrel quickly hops the fence and climbs to safety on top of the power line. If I mention the word "squirrel" Charley goes into a frenzy running to the basement door to get to the yard.

One time when I was working in the yard, I noticed that Charley was spending a lot of time by the storage shed growling. At first, I ignored this odd behavior and continued with my chore. After a while, curiosity got the best of me. When I approached the shed, I noticed that Charley had cornered a large rodent. The rodent was trapped but the shed prevented charley from attacking. It was a stalemate.

Charley also has a protective nature. He is especially close to our oldest daughter. When our son would horse around and try to place her in various wrestling holds, Charley would charge him with a vicious growl stopping short of administering a bite. Although he wasn't the best watch dog, if a stranger came to the door Charley became difficult to restrain.

Ya know my heart keeps tellin' me . . . You're not a kid at thirty-three
I got my pills to ease the pain. . . . Can't find a thing to ease the rain

After 15 years, Charley has slowed down. Many of his teeth are gone or rotted. He no longer has a healthy appetite. His black shinny coat has faded to gray. Charley stumbles when he walks and has difficulty going up and down stairs. He wakes me at night to let him out. This usually occurs at 3 A.M. Sometimes this happens multiple times during the night. At first, I was extremely annoyed, but then I realized that I get up at night for the same reasons as Charley. The difference is I can get to the bathroom myself and Charley does not take Super Beta Prostrate supplements. He needs help. I guess us old guys have to look out for each other. Most of the day he spends sleeping. When I come home from work, he rarely knows I am there until I wake him.

Some gotta win, some gotta lose . . . Good time Charlie's got the blues

Charley crossed the rainbow bridge today. I have never heard of such a place but when we left the veterinarian's office, a beautiful rainbow was painted across the sky. I hope to see him again someday.