A Tribute to Woo-dro

My big boy Woo-dro came to us through our rescue efforts; purchased in Montana from a breeder, by a young couple local to Winston-Salem who named their pup, Hixxy. And he was loved.

Unfortunately as things happen, the couple split, leaving Hixxy with a grandfather who kept him in a fenced field with an open barn for the next couple of years. He had little human contact other than the owner feeding him twice a day and giving him small bits of hotdog. Hixxy was shaved once a year and in the winter his coat was matted and iced over from the snow and rain.

A fellow rescuer suggested to the owner that Hixxy may be happier if a rescue group was called in and that he'd have a better life. We were contacted and brought him home to evaluate. It took all of about thirty one seconds to figure that Hixxy wouldn't be going anywhere. We fell in love with him and vice versa. He was especially drawn to me and I renamed him Woo-dro because he had a habit of craning his neck and trumpeting 'wooooo'. It seemed to fit him.

Life moved on and one night, after only a few weeks, Woo-dro had a massive seizure. A vet trip the next day showed that Woo was epileptic and would most likely need to be on medicine for the remainder of his life to control the seizures. The drawback was that the medicines could actually shorten Woo's life by taking a toll on vital organs. We opted to take our chances and deal with the seizures. What a sad thought to think of Woo in the past having had seizures out in that field, with no one to see or help.

After living life virtually seizure-free, being happy, very much loved, the flagship for Muttley Manor, the Tarheel OES Rescue and known throughout the rescue and OES community, we found that Woo's medicines had indeed taken their toll. Woo-dro was dying.

On an unseasonably warm October afternoon, I got home from work early and went to check on Woo and let him out to use the bathroom. On shaking and wobbly legs, always happy to see me, he trumpeted his signature 'woooooo' (although very weak) and lay down in the driveway in the sun. I went inside, fixed Woo a couple of hamburger patties and tore them into bites for him. He LOVED that. I went up the drive to get the mail and when I got back, Woo had moved to the yard and was lying in a sunbeam in the grass. He looked so happy and content in that moment. I got my accoustic guitar and sat near him, playing and watching him. In a few minutes, Woo appeared to be having problems breathing and I went to him, craddling him in my arms and with a few licks to my face in tears, he gasped, jerked once and died. I held him to my chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

Even though I felt like I was being crushed, there was a warmth of emotion I've never felt before. I've lost dogs, family members and have been in relationships previously and am now married but I've never had that feeling before in my life.

With all the trivial things humans do and the things they buy to try to find the meaningfullness in life, I've found where head and happiness is, thanks to Woo-dro.

To all the folks that would say 'He was just a dog', I just smile and say 'Yeah, but he was a hell of a dog!'

Written in love by Pete Lamm



Woo-dro Born 1/15/1999 Died 10/30/2008