“What’s an Eppie do? whatever she wants to!” This is a little ditty we always said to our furbaby Eppie. She was the best dog ever, the kindest dog and so well behaved. I would like to tell you a little about her life as a Wieder.
Eppie came to be with us in December 2007. My husband saw her at the Central Aroostook Humane Society. She had been dropped off by someone who told the staff she was 2 years old and that she was a runner, and they could not deal with this issue. My husband asked me to go with him to see her at the shelter. He had picked her out and thought she would make a good dog for our household and he wanted me to take a look at her before we brought her home.
When we walked into the room where she was housed, my husband opened up the pen and she came out with a little rubber toy in her mouth and just leaned against his leg. She was a medium-size dog with pretty markings, and the girls at the shelter said she was a mix of husky and lab. Eppie didn’t make a sound. The other dogs were all barking and whining but she didn’t make a peep. That is the day Eppie came home with us. She joined not only my husband and me, but Bo, our big dog at that time, and Zoey, our cat. Eppie got along with everyone; she was a very loving and smart girl.
Did she run? Yes, she did. She loved to run, up the driveway, down the road, just as fast as she could go. My husband would jump in the car and go get her, bring her back and tell her firmly that she wasn’t going to run, that she was not to leave the yard. This went on about five times. She would run, we would go get her and bring her back. Before you knew it, she would get to the top of the driveway and we would yell, “No, Eppie,” and she would turn around and run back to us. That was the extent of her running away.
She was content to stay in our yard, run and play freely there. My husband even taught her to stay in one spot. If we went for a walk, he would tell her to stay, walk away and she would just set and watch, once he was a bit away, he would whistle for her and she would come running. Eppie was a very smart girl. She just needed to be taught and loved.
Eppie loved toys; she always carried one in her mouth in her younger years, dropping it in our laps so we would play with her. Eppie never barked. We taught her to say “please,” but all we would get was a very low woof. Eppie loved to snuggle. I would lay down with her and tell her to come close and she would crawl to me. I would say, “Closer, closer,” until her whole body was close and her head on my chest, and then smother her with kisses, which she loved.
Eppie loved the air conditioner. She would jump on the bed and lay at the foot and was in a direct line with the cool air. I guess that was the husky in her; she didn’t like the heat.
Eppie was the kindest dog. We never heard her growl or bark at anyone, loved the neighbors kids and any other animal. One day she was on the steps wagging her tail, like another dog was in the yard. I went out on the step to see who or what it was and it was a bear walking towards us. I tell you, I got us both in the house fast.
When Eppie was about 11, I had noticed she had lost weight and was not herself. She started having some sort of seizures, where she shook all over and was very scared. When this happened she would come to me. After several visits to the vet’s office we found out she had diabetes. This required her to have insulin shots morning and night. She also suffered from thyroid disease, and was on medication. Eppie knew before breakfast and supper she had to have a shot. She would sit down patiently waiting for me to give her the shot and then her meal. This went on for more than two years. In that time her eyes became white with cataracts and her hearing was getting bad. It didn’t stop her, though. Eppie could maneuver well. We wouldn’t let her go too far from the house; we didn’t want her getting lost.
Eppie started slowing down a lot and not eating for a few days. She was a very sick girl. She was 14. I knew the day would come to say goodbye. We called the vet’s office and took her in. The news wasn’t good. She was in diabetic acidosis. X-rays showed she had a large mass between her rib cage and her liver was also enlarged. We knew we could not let this beautiful dog suffer. On July 16th we said goodbye to our Eppie Girl. She went peacefully with her face in my hands as I whispered to her, “What’s an Eppie-do? Whatever she wants to.”
It is so hard to lose one of your pets, because they are family. In my case they’re my kids. Eppie had a great 12 years with us, was loved and spoiled, and that is the way it should be. She will forever be in our hearts.
So if you are looking for a pet, please check out the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Gail Wieder is a member of the board of directors of the Central Aroostook Humane Society.
