FAREWELL MY MAX, THE OLD GENTLEMAN

 In October of 2008, I had a call from a shelter near me.  They had two Pekes there. 

 Max and Maggie had been abandoned in a field where no one would find them-- a call was made to the shelter, so we suspect that the owner dumped them there (they must have been in a crate since they were easily found).

 Max was missing an eye and we don't know why.   I became the detective and called every vet in the area, asking for Pekes named Max and Maggie.  I found their owners-- and they never responded to me. 

 Max loved toys!  Especially little tennis balls.  His sister, Maggie, was adopted to a wonderful home, and so we adopted Max.   After a year, he wasn't leaving us.   (Maggie died in 2017 after a very loved life.)

 He loved the top cushions on the couch.

 He had a special spot in the yard where he loved to lay down, no matter the weather.  He would nap out there when I was outside.

 The Pekingese Pathway was used a lot!   Look at his smile!

 Max was only five when he came into rescue.  He was born in August of 2003.

 He joined Starlight...

and Scooterbug...

And Cranberry Muffin the Christmas Puppy.     

 Max was foster brother to so many dogs.   Dogs like Pollyanna, Jinji, Weezie, Didi, Chance, Phoebe, Anna, Dougy, Duchess, Ty-Ty, Caleb, Sugar and so many more.   Lexie, Nala and BeeBee were looked over by Max as they battled to live. 

 Max adored the snow.   His coat was beautiful-- his tail was long and so were his ears. 

 He was known as Mr. Grumpy, because he hated to be picked up.   Toward the end, he let me carry him in and out, but only after it became too difficult.  He was independent.

 I later changed his nickname to "The Old Gentleman"-- he was our patriarch.

 Max's sight became more limited, but he still managed to get around well.

 He could still hear me. 

 Max was always so good about going outside, or using a piddle pad.  As his kidney disease became more advanced, he still tried to get to the piddle pad.  If his front feet were on the pad, he thought he was okay.   I cleaned up a lot, but I didn't mind a bit.  He was trying so hard to be good.

 He loved loved loved the ottoman in front of the window.  He was able to get up on it even once he turned 15, but the last year he had to settle for the beds on the floor.

 Max was good with the grandbits.   He never bit anyone, even if he was grumpy.

 He became more and more gray...

 Yes, age was effecting him, just like the rest of us.

 But, he was still his own little man.  Look at that tail!

 He was diagnosed with kidney failure in April.    His bloodwork was so bad we thought he had less than a month to live.  That was in April.   He gave us seven more months to love him.

 He wasn't ready to give up. 

 Here with Chumley, he still insisted on doing the five steps to the yard on his own.

 He liked curling up with his buddy, Kai Kai.

 I could often find them together. 

 He could "sit pretty" until he was about 14-- I'm not sure what he wanted.  I must have been holding something good. 🌝

 Max received sub-q fluids several times a week.  It helped his kidneys to function better.  He hated for me to do it, so I took him to my vet with his plaid bag that held his fluids.  He was good for them.   We also weighed him every time we went.  He was normally right under 17 pounds, but his weight kept dropping.  He was down to about 12 pounds.   I don't know how he kept going.  But, he did.  He wasn't ready to leave us. 

 I believed Max would tell me when he was done-- so each day, I watched him carefully. 

 Last week, I carried him outside and he couldn't stand.  He fell over and I rushed to pick him up and carry him back inside.   He stood some, but then began to wander, and get stuck.  He was telling me it was time.   He was ready.  He had turned 16 in August, so I know he had a long life of love.

I messaged my vet, who has taken such great care of my pets.  She would help me to let Max go.  It was the last kindness I could give him.  

So, I held him and he rested his head on my lap.  He was ready.   I let him go to his friends who were there to meet him-- his old gang, Scooterbug, Starlight, Cranberry of our original pack from when Max came to us.  It was the end of an era.  

His bowl spot, always the upper left corner, remains empty.  I can't put another bowl there or rearrange the bowls.   (The top row are Kai Kai and Paddington-- Stewart is the end next to Paddington's.  Then on the bottom are Chumley, Minnie and Piper.  I have a large "dresser" that is my feeding area, with room for food containers, and meds are up high on a shelf-- out of the reach of the Bits.)

 It's very hard to let them go, even when you know it's best for them.   He is back home where he belongs.  He was my boy, I was there with him at the end, just as I had been since he came to me.   My daughter said it well when her Leo passed away:  "Be there until the end.  Be there until that last breath has left their body.  Be there.  Because they were always there for you...."    Run free now, sweet boy.  I keep looking for you, but you're just running ahead of me.  Play with your friends, especially Scooterbug and Cranberry and Starlight and my Nala and her sister, BeeBee.  I love you.  I miss you.  💙❤️