The Long Goodbye

The follow talks about the semi-suddenness of our goodbye to Phod and if you wish to skip it, I understand. I have promised to be truthful about our lives so this is our truth.

In reality, our goodbye to Zaphod started in the spring of 2023. This is when the arthritis became apparent and he started to have trouble getting up and down. It was at this time, we started Librela. I know Librela is very controversial but after speaking to 2 vets, and seeing how it worked for Phody,  I can truly say it gave us time with him. When we started the tech said the research showed we would get 1 year with him. Aren't we lucky, we got more.

Over the next 2 years, we saw a very slow decline. He stopped playing fetch. He stopped going down our stairs. He spent more time in the closet sleeping. He still loved a short walk and could be very playful. Given the chance he would sneak over to the neighbours in a heartbeat. His life was best described as slow. He was still happy and as comfortable as anyone in their golden years could be! 

Zaphod died on a Monday. That night, around 4, he cried out in pain for the first time. The Man got up and rubbed his leg. We thought it was just that he had slept funny. He was starting to be more stiff when he first got up.

The morning he was restless. This was not entirely uncommon. He could be like this. 

Separately, without discussing it, both the Man and I realized we were in the last few days/hours. I can't say how we knew this, but we did. I had the same thing with Lee. The day before, no clear reason why, when we were walking, my heart said, this is our last walk. In both cases I told myself not to be silly.

Thank you for Meezer's Mews and Terriieristical Woofs for creating this

I left for work around 11:30. At 1:26 the Man called me to say I had to come home, it was time to say goodbye to Zaphod. He had 2 medical events. The Man is not a vet and is unsure if it was a seizure or  cardiac events. They were close together and terrible. These made it almost impossible for him to walk and he didn't always seem to know where he was.

I got in my car, called the vet, made the arrangements and realized I couldn't be home in time. I met the Man and Phod at the clinic. 

About 2 hours after his medical events, he went peacefully, refusing the chocolate kiss they offered him. 

Zaphod lived about 14 years, which for a Shepherd mix is amazing, especially given the clearly rough start he had. In the end, even the best dog couldn't beat death. 

So when people have asked me if Phod's death was expected, my answer is yes and no. We have been waiting for his backend to go for 2 years. We just didn't know that it would be April 28. 

For those who read to the end, thank you. Thank you for all your kind words and love. It has been a very hard time and we are ok. 

So Long and Thanks For All The Fish

 It is with a heavy heart we let you know that one of the best constellations of star dust to ever exist, our Zaphod Beeblebrox, went to the bridge yesterday.  He was surrounded by love, laughter and tears in his final moments. 

Zaphod joined our pack almost 13 years ago, as a bribe from the Man to have me move to Quebec.  Found as an extremely underweight stray,  his foster mom named him Zaphod for the alien in Douglas Adam's Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. We liked the name and it, along with Phod, Phody, Bear, Buddy, Old Man, among others, stuck. 

He loved fetch, and his ball Precious. He loved the lake, and did get a dip on the weekend. While initially cautious of people he didn't know, especially men, Phod learned to love most people. He saw our neighours and family as an extension of his pack. He was gentle, playful, loyal and fun. People who didn't love dogs or love shepherds, always fell in love with him.  He wasn't perfect. He got car sick, he loved to eat poop, he loved to roll in poop, as he got old he listened less well. 

I have been fortunate enough to share my home with 4 dogs in my adult life, and while I loved each and every one, Zaphod, truly was a very good dog, one of the best.  I remember talking to the woman at the rescue about him and she said, he was a special, once in a lifetime dog. She was right.   Our lives are ultimately better for having known and loved him. He taught us about forgiveness trust and  unconditional love. 

Zaphod - 2011 to April 28, 2025

Thank you all for letting us share his life with you and for loving him too. 

The Lady, for the Man and the Rivers, Tigris and Styx

Thanks to Ann for creating this for us.

Wordless Wednesday - Pals

 

Wordless Wednesday - In the Bush with Lady

 

Throwback Thursday - The First Picture of Zaphod We Ever Shared

 This was the first picture of Phod we shared when we introduced him.

He spent much of his first few days curled up by the door.  It didn't take him long to have the run of the house.

This memory made me smile! 

Wordless Wednesday - Play Time

 

Happy 14th Birthday Zaphod!

 Today we wish our beautiful boy a very happy birthday! 

Wordless Wednesday - My Cave

 

Wordless Wednesday - Winter Evening

 

Wordless Wednesday - Handsome

 

Wordless Wednesday - Phod Face

 

Has Anyone Seen My Man?

 I wonder where he could be?

Wordless Wednesday - Welcome

 

Wordless Wednesday - My Heart

 

Wordless Wednesday - Boring

 

Happy 12th Gotcha Day Phod!

Lady: Happy Gotcha Day Phod

Phod: You are not going to sing are you? I hate it when you sing!

Lady: Sorry bud, I am going to sing to you all day. But first, I want to tell you the story of how I came to be the luckiest Lady alive, and have a Phod in her life.

Phod: I am not sure if retelling this story is better or worse than the singing, but go for it Lady, because I know it will make you happy and there is nothing I love more than making you happy.

A picture of Phod from the first year he lived with us

Lady: Ok, here it goes. In the spring of 2012, Man and I decided it was time to move. We were thinking about what part of the city to move to, when one day the Man said "Don't say no. I want you to think about it." So I of course immediately said no, and then he said "What about moving to the Quebec side? We could have trees, and hills and water." Now as you know, I don't really speak French and had some concerns, but I asked "Can I have another dog if we do?"  And the Man said yes. So we started a search for a house in Quebec and another dog. 

Phod: How did you find me Lady?

Lady: I was looking at all the rescues, and the rescue we got Hailey from. I reached out to them. At first, they said, read the profiles. Then Lady said, "I do, but it is hard to know who is a good fit. I want the opposite of Hailey." The woman who ran the rescue said there was a once in a lifetime dog, a very gentle soul they had recently taken from a shelter. If her dog wasn't so territorial, she would take him. He was a shepherd mix probably about one and a half named Zaphod. 

Phod: So, if another dog didn't need to be an only dog, I wouldn't have found you? 

Lady: Our lives would all be different Phod, but you would have been loved. We arranged to meet you and took Lee to a park with a fenced space near your foster mom's. You two played and got along well. We were sold. 

Phod: I am very handsome and sweet, so I can see why you were sold Lady. 

Lady: Then we were moving and we moved on August 2nd. Around this time we got a call saying that they were dropping a dog off not too far from us and if we were really interested, they would bring you on August 6. We were a little nervous, having just moved and people being worried about us getting a Shepherd mix. Sadly, this breed has some prejudices against it. But we took the plunge and said ok. You came. You walked into the house, looked around, lifted your leg and peed on our bed (the only time you ever did this) and you were home. And everyone who was nervous about us having a Shepherd mix wasn't the moment they met you.

Phod now

Phod: I am glad that I helped show people that it isn't the breed, it is the dog you should judge. I am sure the rescue people were nice and would have been great, but I am really, really glad you said yes Lady and picked me. I am glad Hailey is my sister (and not just because her behaviour has made anything I do look good in comparison). I love her and you and Man and the lake and the bush and the neighbours (who I miss a lot right now because they are on vacation), and Grammie and the Big Guy and Emma and Uncle Chris and Aunt C and her family and well almost everyone I have met, and my Precious even though I don't play with her anymore, and sleeping in the closet and well I love almost everything. I don't love the car or the vet. 

Lady: Phod - we love everything about you and we are so happy to be celebrating 12 years with you. 

Happy 12th Gotcha Day Zaphod! 

Throwback Thursday - Zaphod

As next week we celebrate 12 years with Phod as part of our pack, I thought it would be fun to revisit pictures from his first few weeks with us today. Phod was somewhere between the ages of 1-2 when he joined us. He had been found a stray and was underweight. He has always been a gentle soul. 

From his first night - he just wanted to sit by the door

He always loved the lake! 

My sweet boy

Come back next week when we celebrate 12 years with Phod!

Grass Bath - by Phod

Dear pals,

On days I am not feeling too stiff, I still love a good roll. Lady says I am having a grass bath. 

She can't imagine how I get so much dirt in my ears sometimes. 

Rolling is the best.

your pal, Phod, roller extraordinaire

Mischief Monday - It Shouldn't be Like Cheers

 Dear pals,

Lady was telling me about this old TV show called Cheers, where in the theme song they said "where everyone knows your name" and when the character named Norm walked in everyone would yell "Norm."

I have been to the vet so often lately, when I walked in on Friday they said "Zah-phod". They didn't say it right,  but they did know me. Lady gently said "Zayphod" and they laughed and said someday they would get it right. 

The sting of being famous at a vet clinic was taken out a bit when some other client went on about how beautiful I was.

Anyway, I got my old man Librela shot Friday and hopefully don't have to go back for a full month for my next one and my annual check up. Maybe they will forget who I am. 

Your pal, who doesn't like everyone at the vet knowing his name Zaphod

Phod Update

Last week the vet called to let us know that Phod was fortunate enough to not have just one but two bacteria infections and the only treatment is very expensive antibiotics. So we started him on these last week. We had been following the directions and giving it without food, but this made him sick (nothing like watching your dog puke up $29 worth of medication). After talking to the vet, we now give after he eats and this seems to be going better. 

Lady dragged me out of the closet to get a picture. I just got back from the vet, I want to sleep! 

He had a follow up appointment on Tuesday. The good news is his ear infection is cleared up. The not so good news is his skin  isn't cleared up. This means we get to continue with not only the medications but with the foam. 

In other good news is, he seems much more comfortable right now and is not nearly as itchy. Not that we see him much, as he spends 90% of his day sleeping in the closet.

It is hard to be an old Phod!

Thanks for all the POTP for him.