I’ve been preparing for this day to come for nearly four years, and yet here I am saying to myself – I can’t believe she’s gone.
After the passing of each beloved family dog, I’ve written an entry in my blog dedicated to their existence and the profound impact it had on mine. While not an obligation I am forced to deal with, it is an important acknowledgment for me to fulfill as I would not be who I am, or for that matter here writing this today, had it not been for them.
What follows is my farewell love letter about a princess named Era.
As an estimated 5-6 month old puppy, Era found her way into the Cleveland City Kennel sometime in mid-June 2011 after her (former) owner was arrested. We don’t know the details why he was arrested or what her life was like for those first 5 or 6 months prior to her arrival, but we do know his arrest – as well as a “pit bull” label she had no knowledge of being, preceded this change so early in her life.
This happened at a time before the push gained noticeable traction for local humane societies and municipal shelters to direct adopt pit bull dogs out to the general public. This was true nationwide, but especially true for cities in the state of Ohio, which still had a statewide law restricting the ownership of such dogs, classifying them as inherently vicious at birth while lumping them together with dogs who have actually displayed vicious behaviors towards people and/or other animals.
Additionally, more often than not, shelter policies also prohibited the adoption of pit bulls, which meant the dogs were more likely to leave out the back door than they were to leave out the front. But, all that seemed to be slowly changing…
Sometime in November 2010, I contacted a woman by the name of Jean Keating, who just led a successful effort in Toledo (OH) to repeal their local pit bull law, which was enforced by former Lucas County Dog Warden, Tom Skeldon – a polarizing figure who became infamous for his heavy-handed approach in animal control that resulted in the death of tens of thousands of pit bull dogs over the course of his twenty-some years of duty.
The effectiveness of Jean’s advocacy was the catalyst in forcing Skeldon’s resignation, and the complete overhaul in the way the Lucas County Dog Warden’s Office conducted their work in the community, by passing a breed neutral dangerous and vicious dog law.
I met Jean a couple years prior through a dog advocacy group called Canine Advocates of Ohio (CAO). I didn’t feel confident in myself yet, which is why after several months I decided to ask for Jean’s help after her big win. I remember saying to her almost verbatim – “Help me do in Cleveland what you did in Toledo”.
I say this because at the time there were rumors of pit bull dogs being tortured before being put to sleep at the city kennel. An allegation confirmed years later directly to me by the Chief Dog Warden John Baird at his retirement ceremony in 2014. Afterwards, I pulled him aside so only he and I could hear each other, where he explained that once he became aware of the actions by the two men involved, they were immediately terminated and prosecuted. I appreciated the honesty, and could tell it was an unexpected question to be asked on the day he’s being recognized for his years of service.
But, in 2010 I was under the assumption that Mr. Baird was the same type of dog warden as Tom Skeldon, because it appeared he enforced the city and state pit bull law with pleasure…only to find out that he didn’t agree with breed specific legislation, stating that it made his job tougher to perform, but it was a job he was obligated to do, because, well, it was the law!
So, when Jean contacted the city of Cleveland to begin public records requests, at the heels of her successful and very public repeal effort in Toledo, it created an opportunity for positive dialogue to happen between her and John, who then looped in Cleveland City Councilman, Matt Zone. This became the stepping stone that transformed Cleveland’s dangerous and vicious dog laws and influenced the drastic changes in shelter policy reform it so desperately needed.
Councilman Zone then took over and spearheaded an initiative to repeal the city’s local ordinance pertaining to pit bull dogs by forming a small group of people that included Jean, John Baird and myself, as well as a dozen or so others, to meet on April 21, 2011 and provide input while rewriting a proposed ordinance to replace Cleveland’s breed specific dangerous and vicious dog law, that he will then present to City Council.
I met and interviewed Councilman Zone about two years prior on April 30, 2009 while in an early stage of production on my first documentary film – Guilty Til Proven Innocent, which examined the state of Ohio’s pit bull law, and the effect it had on its local municipalities. It was the reason I was even involved in this debate to this degree in the first place.
I reached out to him requesting an interview after learning that he rescued a stray pit bull dog off the street, who was injured after being run over by a vehicle in front of his ward office on Detroit Avenue in the Gordon Square Arts District – hence the name he subsequently chose for him, Gordon Detroit. I knew he cared deeply for this dog when the name of his personal Facebook page was “Gordon Detroit” instead of his own.
That film started, initially about dogfighting, on April 25, 2007 – the day Michael Vick’s rural Virginia property was raided by federal authorities who discovered dozens of pit bull dogs and evidence of dogfighting. But, the project immediately pivoted to breed specific legislation upon accidentally meeting a dog named Preston one year later on May 15, 2008.
Preston was a former fighting dog, who I fell madly in love with while visiting the home of Shana Klein, founder of the Cleveland-based dog rescue – For the Love of Pits, where I went for the sole purpose of seeking credible information. Before leaving that afternoon, I spontaneously blurted out that I was going to adopt Preston, which was easier said than done as Lakewood City Council proposed a pit bull ban four days later on May 19, 2008; passing it later that summer.
Since I can easily get sidetracked talking about Preston and don’t want to stray too far away from Era, you can read more about Preston in the blog written at the time of his departure – “Soulmates: More Than A Love Story“, but his adoption did come with some initial challenges that I didn’t quite foresee or expect because Preston was an absolute delight in Shana’s home surrounded with a houseful of foster dogs whenever I’d visit, but it was like the reset button was pressed upon entering mine. He didn’t respond well to other animals, and it didn’t seem to matter if they were wildlife or cats, or other dogs.
And, I will admit there were a few moments within the first year, especially, that I thought he’d have to be an only dog for the rest of his life…which frankly, sucked because my parents had two dogs and my sister consistently had at least two in hers. Holidays and other family gatherings were always accompanied by the presence of a lot of family dogs…and I wanted Preston to be included in it, too. After all, he was part of my family.
“Cleveland Changes Vicious Dog Law” | News 5 Cleveland, recorded on June 7, 2011
Anyway – on June 1, 2011 Councilman Zone presented the proposed new ordinance to the Safety Committee, which passed and went on to be voted by the entire City Council on June 6th, which despite some initial push back also unanimously passed.
Cleveland was now a breed neutral city, and that progress quickly carried over into the city kennel, as more of an effort was being made to transfer dogs via transport bus to other parts of the country, in regions who didn’t experience the kind of overpopulation that we had or could handle.
At this time, Preston and I were three years into our human-canine relationship, developing a stronger bond with each and every passing day. And with this, my confidence in him grew to the point that it became quite apparent he actually really liked other dogs. He just needed time for me to earn his trust…Not the other way around.
So, I started thinking I could do more for this cause than I currently am doing, and fostering a dog seemed to be a logical next step.
On June 28, 2011, a friend who volunteered at the city kennel shared a photo of a dog named Jasmine that needed a temporary home. She was gorgeous, and on an impulse, I commented that I would like to offer mine. Am I talking about Era? The answer to that is – no.
Later that same day, I received an email from a woman named Julie – a volunteer with Friends of the Cleveland Kennel, the organization who gave financial assistance to the city kennel with fundraisers, supplied enrichment for the dogs, and also facilitated the transports to other regions.
She explained to me that I was a few minutes too late; they found a foster home for Jasmine, but they have a 5-6 month old puppy that needs a place to crash for 2 or 3 weeks before she heads out on a transport bus to somewhere in the New England states. This puppy would later become Era, but at the time she was referred to by only her cage number – Cage 11.
In this email, Julie couldn’t stop gushing about how sweet Era is, and how she loves to be cuddled…that she is one of her favorite dogs at the kennel, and would just love for her to get out of that place.
For anybody who has ever visited the old building where the Cleveland City Kennel operated, they know exactly why Julie said that. It was a dungeon, built in the days when government’s solution to solve the stray dog problem was having a “catch and kill” mentality. Thankfully we now have a new state-of-the-art building, which opened in 2019, but those were very tough days for Cleveland’s homeless dogs.
Apparently, because her owner was arrested, the kennel had to hold her for at least 10 days before she could be released. I was told once he got out of jail he did call to reclaim her, which only extended her stay even longer, but ultimately he never showed.
So, when I wrote back agreeing to foster her, I requested that I be the one who named her if my application is approved.
Professionally, I made my living working for one of the telecom leaders in their B2B department as a Business Sales Associate. I assisted in managing corporate accounts for businesses in specific area codes for a team of outside sales reps in the greater Cleveland market.
One morning, about a month prior to agreeing to foster this 6 month old puppy, I was in the office and received a call from a customer who needed help with their account. When she told me her name I recall asking if she could repeat it once again.
“Era”, she said, adding “You know, like a new era in your life?” You could tell she’s been asked to clarify her name before, because the latter part seemed to roll so seamlessly and effortlessly off her tongue.
I remember responding without even thinking – “Wow, that is the most beautiful name I have ever heard”. I’m pretty sure she blushed. I know I was after realizing I said that out loud, which made for an awkward moment transitioning to her account needs.
So, when I asked if it were alright if I named this little puppy girl who was about to join our household, I wrote to Julie “I think she should be called ‘Era’…as in this is a new era in her life”. Julie responded with a resounding “Yes, I love Era!”
For Era, it will soon be a new era in her life…and the same can be said for Preston and me.
Two days later on June 30, 2011, Chief Dog Warden John Baird gave Julie the clearance to get Era out of the kennel after her owner was a no-show. She arrived at my home at about 8:15 in the evening, which meant there was little sunlight left before it would be pitch black out.
She had sent me pictures of Era before, but they didn’t do her any justice. When Julie arrived she parked her car on the street, and I walked out of the house to greet them. Out came this breathtaking red-haired puppy with an adorable pink camouflaged nose and the most stunning green eyes I had ever witnessed.
Since daylight was not on our side, we attempted to take a quick walk down the street before introducing Preston to her. Whether it was her being shy or feeling nervous, that attempt ended rather quickly when she plopped down to the ground and refused to move – something she did a lot of in those younger days. So, we decided to bring Preston out and maybe that will help get her moving, while also to see if there would be any chemistry between them.
Once Preston joined us, there was the expected initial reaction of intense curiosity, followed moments later by both walking right next to each other so relaxed and carefree. It was going better than expected.
I don’t know if I’d recommend this next method we chose, but we made our way back to the house, and upon entering we decided to just drop the leashes. Seemed like a good idea, but it’s worth noting that even though Preston was only about 50lbs – not a big dog by any means, Era was still just a puppy, so she was considerably smaller and more delicate.
Without notice, Preston leaped right at her into a play bow, which startled Julie and I – but only for a second, as Preston and Era then ran around the house literally becoming fast friends. Any worries or concerns we may have had were quickly extinguished.
Welcome to your new home, Era girl.
My father came over that evening to meet our temporary houseguest. I’ve always had a sense of pride that he took such an interest in what I was doing with my film, and how engaged he was with helping raise my dogs while I was at work. He would end up playing a huge role through their entire lives, and that was especially true in Era’s case.
To get her ready for transport, there were several things I needed to accomplish, but most important were:
Behaviorally speaking, this shy and/or nervous puppy who wouldn’t move, came completely out of her shell. Simply put – Era was a terror as a puppy. She ruled the house and everyone in it.
The moment you took something out of her mouth she wasn’t supposed to have – like my work dress shoes, she’d quickly move on to gnawing something else she wasn’t allowed to chew, such as my furniture.
On more than one occasion Preston would wander into my home office with a worried look on his face…and Era attached to his jowls. Clearly, if Preston didn’t want to tolerate her puppy antics, he was well equipped to take care of himself. But, no, not this gem – instead, he’d drag her to me so I could remove her.
Then there was the time I caught her sitting on top of Preston while he chewed on his nylabone (above photo). Moments later she’d take the very bone he was chomping on away from him just so she could have it for herself (below photo).
They were getting along so well, but I was still unsure if I wanted to adopt her. I mean, I was technically planning to adopt another dog…part of fostering was to see if Preston wanted another dog – or for that matter a puppy like Era, and I wasn’t sure if he did those first 2 or 3 weeks. At times I’d catch him laying down on the bed alone in our room, which wasn’t normal for him.
But, by the time the next month rolled around, it was clear she was a welcomed chaos for the both of us, and on September 25, 2011 the adoption paperwork was finalized. Era was officially home.
Within the first year, Era began showing some concerning signs pertaining to her health and well-being. She wasn’t gaining the weight she needed to catch up with her growth spurts, despite consuming nearly double the amount of calories Preston was intaking, and her skin became pale-toned in color and my vet feared she may be anemic. We did full-panel bloodwork and allergy tests, where it was discovered she was highly allergic to dust, house and storage mites, as well as ragweed. So, basically she was exposed to allergens year round.
We’d at times joke the only way to protect her was by turning her into the canine equivalent of bubble-boy. For those unaware of that reference, “bubble boy” was an episode from the television comedy – Seinfeld, where a grown man lived with his parents in a plastic bubble to create a sterile environment because of an inability to be around germs.
At the time there was a new experimental drug called Apoquel that wasn’t yet available on the open market, but clinical trials showed a lot of promise. This didn’t help Era, though, because while we waited she had to experiment with other remedies to help control her itches.
We tried one common drug available at the time, but that made her violently ill after the first dose and she was immediately taken off of it. When her allergies got really bad – especially in the spring and summer, she’d have to do a cycle of prednisone; definitely not a long term solution because of the negative effects it will have on her vital organs, as well as behavior changes that can occur from taking the steroid.
Her allergies would get so bad that she’d literally gnaw her skin raw to the point it would bleed and leave an open sore. While I was able to get it somewhat under control a couple years later once Apoquel became available, this is something she dealt with for her entire life. At one time, she’d get a cytopoint shot- an even newer drug administered via needle once every month or so, while simultaneously also taking Apoquel. It was that bad.
Once we got into the summer of 2012, I again felt I could do more after seeing a picture of another female dog identified as a pit bull at the Cleveland City Kennel who caught my eye. Her name was Fergie, and she was receiving virtually no interest whatsoever. I figured, since I had zero worries about Preston and Era, I’d be up to the challenge of bringing in a new foster dog.
Again, you can read more about Fergie in her farewell blog entry – “Don’t Know What You Got, Til It’s Gone“, but I first decided to donate in the hope it would attract more donors and a rescue would pull her. A day or two later, with still no interest, I again impulsively commented if a rescue is willing to pull her, I would foster.
Thankfully, I befriended many that were involved in dog rescue locally, as well as beginning to create a decent sized platform nationally with my film and advocacy. A woman named Melissa who I had met while attending Lakewood City Council meetings in 2008 when the pit bull ban was proposed, offered to use her rescue – All Dogs Heaven, to pull Fergie.
We did have one setback, though. Fergie tested heartworm positive, but Melissa explained how treatable (and frankly, avoidable) it is, and didn’t mind making the financial commitment to invest in Fergie’s life if I wanted to still move forward.
So, on August 11, 2012, my father and I drove down to the Cleveland City Kennel, where we met Fergie for the first time in the parking lot, and scooped up all 65-70 lbs of her – which at the time appeared to be mostly contained to her head, and placed her in the back seat of my Honda Civic with my father, who cuddled her on our ride home.
As part of her treatment, she had to be secluded for two months from the other dogs to limit any stimulation. Aside from occasional couch snuggling and bathroom breaks, most of her days would have to be spent in a crate in my home office.
If I am to be completely honest, as unfortunate as it was for her to have to go through, it probably made for a much easier transition once she was healthy and ready to be fully integrated with Preston and Era.
But, I vowed to move at her speed. I would tell myself that I am going to wait until she tells me she’s ready. She is going to have to be the one to take the leap of faith…And, leap she did!
One morning right around Thanksgiving (2012), which would have been one month or so after she successfully completed her heartworm treatment and given a, mostly, clean bill of health, I was in my home office with Fergie working with the office door open. Preston and Era were left to freely wander around the house. When suddenly, Preston walks right up to the child gate that kept Fergie partitioned into the room, and sat down. Ferg quickly ran up to gate tp greet him with her tail wagging…and leaped completely over the child gate.
When she landed there was this hilarious moment of awkwardness between Preston and Ferg, as if they looked at each other and said ” Did we just become friends?!” It was beautiful to experience, seeing her make that leap.
Era was in my bedroom the entire time napping on the bed when this happened. If there’s one thing you know about Era, it’s she made sure to have sufficient beauty sleep. It’s something that continued throughout her life, and likely where the nickname “She’s So Pretty” was originally born out of. Anytime I would say those words to her, her entire body would wiggle and go into dramatic convulsions of pure joy.
Short video clip of Preston, Era and myself | recorded on August 11, 2011
While “She’s So Pretty” – or “Pretty” for short, was the nickname I most often used the last half of her life, it was not her first. Sometime during year 1, she earned the moniker “Violent Love”, due to her over-exuberance while handing out kisses. She would stop at nothing until affection is given, and that meant sometimes she would accidentally hurt you while forcing her unsolicited love.
She often would take her arms and wrap them around your head, then use her paws as hands to secure and hold your face still while she repeatedly licked you until it started to hurt and become chapped. I can see how this may not appeal to everyone, but I didn’t typically mind having to explain a scratch on my face, or endure her flailing paws to the groin every once in a while, because it was simply in the name of L-O-V-E. Love hurts, no?
The year 2013 was one of my all-time favorite years. We premiered “Guilty Til Proven Innocent” in front of a sold out crowd in my hometown of Cleveland on April 28th, and then screened the film for the next year in 20-some cities around the country, including official selections to two film festivals (2013 St. Louis International Film Festival; 2014 Kansas City Film Fest), as well as in three law schools.
On Fergie’s one year anniversary, I decided to foster fail again and formally adopt her after everyone, including, but not limited to, Melissa, as well as my parents, appearing to sabotage any effort of finding her own home.
I am thankful, because while I didn’t envision myself having three dogs, in hindsight I now know how much I would have missed without her in all of our lives.
And, frankly, Era and Fergie were two peas in a pod. Fergie graciously accepted Era’s in-your-face antics whenever she was feeling spunky and wanted to initiate play. At times you could see Ferg had enough of her, but never once did she react or lash out. Not once.
Ferg’s entire life, Era was her constant companion, who would groom her every morning. Again, Era would probably overdo it, because that’s who Era was – everything with such gusto, but you could tell even when Fergie wasn’t enjoying it, there was a part of her that still probably did. I could relate.
By the time the calendar flips to the year 2014, I was beginning to experience very serious mental health concerns for the first time in my life. It began with severe anxiety, escalating into a crippling depression, climaxing on November 2nd (2014) with my first suicide attempt.
I’m not going to rehash that again…I’ve already written enough about that period in my life. Preston often receives the credit for helping me overcome those impulses because he was the one who ultimately nudged the door open moments prior to fulfilling my plan. But in truth – I survived because of each and every one of those dogs. Preston, Era and Fergie all played a critical role that I am grateful for.
But, before moving on I want to make one more observation – when I was at my lowest…with no hope and plans on ending my life, the only ones who consistently were there and concerned about my whereabouts were dogs that would’ve and very easily could’ve been killed solely because of how they looked. What an embarrassment to be part of a society where a segment of the population still believes and advocates for the extermination of dogs with subjective physical characteristics that have nothing to do with who they actually are. I digress.
When you go through a trauma, you are never going to revert back to the person who you used to be, you find a new normal. And by 2017, I was starting to figure out this version of me. This may sound strange, but there’s a part of me that is glad that I went through those challenging times, because I evolved to become more of the human being I wanted to be…and I think it was for the better.
Part of my recovery, which is forever a work in progress, was to be more conscious of my fruit intake. I’m a vegetarian for many years, but wasn’t eating well during this time when my depression was at its worse. I’d often buy a bunch of fruit with the intent on eating it, only for it to be thrown out, or given to the dogs before it spoiled.
I remember one day I was salvaging peaches before they rotted. I gave some to the dogs, and decided to eat a bite myself. It was like it woke up my senses, and a burst of life filled my body. So, this became a regular thing Preston, Era, Fergie and I would do. Just about every night I’d stop out of nowhere and ask “Do you want fruit snacks?” Simultaneously, they’d get up and bolt to the kitchen like a freight train barreling down the hallway and wait impatiently at the fridge for their share.
I became active in advocacy again – this time knowing how to be effective in creating real change, over several months I took part in the repeal process of Lakewood’s pit bull ban culminating in the official passage on April 2, 2018. It’s still probably the event I get most emotional over, because it highlighted what can happpen when government officials and the community work together to fix an issue that is terribly wrong.
Our dedicated group of northeast Ohio dog-lovers then moved our focus on another Cleveland suburb with a longstanding pit bull ban – Parma, Ohio. We began assembling at council meetings in September 2018, but that campaign unfortunately ended unsuccessfully at the end of May 2019 when a ballot measure fell 14 votes shy in the primary election.
I’d like to think had it not been for Preston suffering his first known seizure on January 7th earlier that year, I would have been able to be more active in the repeal attempt, but his health immediately became my priority.
If there was ever a good time to lose your job, I’d say I lost mine at the best possible moment. While I was unsure how I was going to make a living after being with my employer for 14.5 years, I was getting a very attractive severance package where I could take some time off to spend with Preston and give him the best possible sendoff.
I didn’t expect him to live longer than the summer, but he had other plans. It took 14 months from the time he experienced his first seizure to the day I finally decided it was time. I called my veterinarian – who offers home euthanasia for his clients, and on March 16, 2020 at about 9:20pm, Preston took his final breath at an estimated 15 years old.
I love all my dogs the same…they all get spoiled with walks, playtime, treats, love and affection, but I won’t deny my relationship with Preston was different. I didn’t love him more than Era and Fergie, it was just different. So, it was, by far, the most significant loss I experienced.
And, it happened over the course of 14 months, which was exhausting because every day I woke up wondering if this was going to be the day…for 14 months. But, the last month or so I knew it was coming. There’s actually an argument that I may have done it even earlier than I had to. He was definitely more anxious, but he still loved going on his short walks, being in the yard, and of course, he still loved to eat, especially his fruit treats!
I definitely leaned on the girls for comfort and affection after he passed, and they never disappoint.
Unfortunately, the year 2020 would get much worse for me and my family. The following month I scheduled an appointment to have some suspicious lumps and bumps removed off Era. Bloodwork done before the surgery showed an elevated level of calcium, which led them to believe she likely has cancer somewhere.
Once a second surgery was concluded on her anal gland, followup bloodwork again showed an elevated level of calcium. She was then referred to a specialist for additional imaging and options to explore.
It turned out she was diagnosed with anal sac adenocarcinoma, and her imaging also suggested she had a second area near her thyroid that could also be cancer. Cancer was spreading on both ends of Era.
Instead of another invasive surgery, which would have been her third in 7 months, I opted to take an option offered and start her on chemotherapy. Just as all my attention was on Era, Fergie nearly collapsed in the yard after dinner on the evening of July 5, 2020.
I rushed Ferg to the vet first thing in the morning so they can run some tests. Three nights later I was putting my second dog to sleep. She had two large masses in her abdomen, and she quit eating…I knew it was time so she didn’t needlessly suffer anymore than she already unnecessarily had. And, on the evening of July 8th at about 9pm, Fergie was gone.
Two dogs in four months, and I still wasn’t out of 2020 yet. There was a huge possibility of losing all three in the same calendar year.
On top of that – Era was absolutely miserable with Preston and Fergie no longer there. The loss of Ferg, especially, definitely hit harder for her…she was all alone without a canine companion for the first time in her life.
She would lay on our bed for hours by herself, like a stone yard ornament, barely even blinking. It devastated her. Her entire world was caving in.
And, personally, it was a humbling feeling for me, believing I could provide everything my dogs needed – love, affection, food and water, walks, etc, but the one thing I couldn’t give her is Preston and Fergie back.
Additionally, she had a negative reaction to the chemo about 7 weeks in. She had to stay overnight at the emergency hospital, and her treatment was effectively over.
I started bringing her to my parents house for day stay-overs. Those day stay-overs turned into overnight stays. Whenever we would arrive in their driveway, her face would immediately perk up. It was nice to see her face with some life in it again, but my ego kinda took a hit because it was only happening due to me dropping her off.
My parents first played it safe with Era and their two smaller dogs – Maggie and Lacey, by segregating them into their own sections of the house, but that didn’t last long. Soon Era would be joining my parents and their dogs on the couch to watch the television, and eventually was allowed to go wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted.
We soon found out how much she adored Lacey, as she would take over Fergie’s spot to be the new recipient of Era’s morning grooming duties. And, yes, she was oftentimes the same borderline obnoxious Era, using her hands to slap Lacey’s face and instigate play. Or, attempt to run in an arthritic trot, playfully chasing Maggie and Lacey around the yard. Era being Era.
I was aware that Era loved dogs, but I didn’t think she loved dogs this much. You realize that she not only loves dogs, she needs dogs. So, even though I did not want to, I started entertaining the idea of fostering a new dog…for Era.
The weekend prior to Thanksgiving, Shana of For the Love of Pits arrived in the driveway with my new foster dog. We renamed him Joey, but unfortunately Joey was really, really, really scared. It took us over 2 hours just to get him inside my house, and once we did he stood in the kitchen and did nothing but growl at me from across the room.
Meanwhile, Era was in the bedroom with the door closed. With the exception of hearing her sniff under the door from time to time, she didn’t make a sound. This was a big problem for me, though, because I couldn’t even touch this dog, and that compromised Era’s safety.
So the following morning I called my parents and arranged for her to stay there until I get Joey figured out. I packed up Era’s belongs and drove her to my parents…my plan has backfired.
We twice tried to introduce Era and Joey together, but each time didn’t go so well. Joey was an extremely fearful dog, and it didn’t matter if it was new people, or new sounds, or new places…every new experience was kinda scary for him.
So, instead, I would visit Era at least once per week, while I put the work in to improve my bond with Joe and Joe’s bond with me. This would go on for the next 2.5 years.
My financial situation didn’t improve. In April 2023 I sold my home and moved in with my parents so I could get my career stable once again, while also being able to be a part of Era’s every day life again. Moving in with your parents at this age takes a slight hit to your pride, but I’m 46 years old now and really don’t have anybody to impress.
Most shocking was how fast Joe was able to integrate himself into this house with three dogs and two other people. It took maybe a month before all dogs were running around the yard together. One of these times, Era decided to playfully run directly at Joe, then leaped completely over him. That was Era. She was here for a good time.
After the 2024 New Year, I knew we were going to have to start talking about her quality of life, and thus, her end of life. I figured it was premature; she still had an appetite – which she had even on her final day as she bounced up and down like she had springs for front legs anytime a meal was served. But, you could tell she was becoming more anxious.
I do want to say – I’m not surprise that she passed – although with all that she’s been through and come out on top, it wouldn’t have surprised me if she continued to beat the odds. But, no, I’m not surprised that she passed. I’m surprised that it ended in the abrupt manner that it did.
I expected to still go through what I thought to be a more normal ending, where dogs begin to lose their appetites, or have trouble getting up to the point where they no longer can. But, no, that didn’t happen.
Most nights after dinner, all four dogs normally stay in the living room with my parents and watch television. Occasionally, Joe and/or Era will come check in on me, sometimes staying to keep me company while I work on the computer, but on this particular night Era decided she wanted to be with me.
I picked her up and placed her on the bed, and decided that we’d relax while cuddling to a Netflix movie. There was a point where she gyrated in her dreams while curled up next to me, but that was pretty normal for her. She always moved and gyrated around while she slept. As she got older she started having accidents…and it seemed to happen a lot while in that deep sleep, so we would often calmly wake her up.
Not long after, the internet went out, so I decided to get some video editing done while Era laid on the bed behind me. I heard her body moving around again, and I expected to see her in a deep sleep gyrating while dreaming like she normally did when I turned around in my chair, but instead what I saw was her body violently thrashing, bouncing around on my bed.
I screamed for my parents – “Mom, Dad, get in here…she’s seizing!”
We tried our best to assist in keeping her safe on the bed until it was over, but it never truly ended. Right around 8pm it appeared as though it might be done. She began to gain some awareness again, but still noticeably confused.
And then it happened again. And again. She would go on to have several more seizures, or what appeared to be separate ones, that in total spanned for the next hour and a half almost continuously. They occurred when we moved her to the floor. They continued as I carried her into my father’s car and all along the entire drive to the emergency clinic.
Once we arrived, they continued after they wheeled her in and gave her seizure medication. When she was wheeled back in the room, she was strapped onto the bed, and you could tell she was still having seizures.
When the doctor finally arrived, before she could even say a word, I asked her to please get it over with. She wasn’t coming out of it…She already has been through too much, I didn’t want her to suffer anymore.
On Friday, March 8, 2024 at about 9:18pm, Era’s heart beat stopped forever.
It was not a good death. Not what I wanted for her. Not the way I envisioned her final night to go down. I wanted to give her that traditional special last meal. I wanted it to be at her home, like Preston and Fergie had. I wanted those Era kisses one more time. But, instead she received a frightening last hour and a half. I hope she knew I was trying to help.
You know – people like to tell you how tough and strong they are, and usually they are associating toughness with limiting the ability to show true emotion. But, that’s not what tough means to me. Era displayed the true meaning of being tough. Not only did she live life the way she wanted, she carelessly exposed her heart to everyone without worry of it being stomped. I admired that about her. She was everything I wished I were and strived to become – authentic and unapologetically, Era.
With the loss of Era, it not only ended the life of one of the most beautiful individuals inside and out, it marked the official end to the greatest era of my life.
While that image of her final moments will forever be tattooed in my memory. It will be impossible to not also remember the 13 years you enhanced my life. I’ll never forget you, Pretty.
