by Stephanie Marshall-Heier
I came bolting around the corner when I heard "I have a surprise for STephanie." "What is it, Daddy?" I asked. Out of the car came ugliest dog I had ever seen. His feet were to big for his stick-like legs. His ears looked more appropriate for a mule than a puppy.His ribs showed. And he was filthy. "What do you tink sweetie?" Daddy asked. "Eeeww! Daddy, he's ugly! Take him back!" I cried. Daddy looked at Mama, both wore the same worried expression on their face. Daddy gestured for all of us to go intto the house. "Honey, we can't take him back. His owners abused him and they will kill him if we don't give him a home," Daddy said earnestly. Even a 9 year old knows how important it is for an animal to live and have a family. "Okay, Daddy he can stay," I said, convinced that I had the ruling vote in the house. Baron was his name. A cross of malamute and timber wolf, he slowly grew into his body, and quickly into my heart. As I grew up, we aquiered another abused dog, Budwieser. After a drive-by shooting not to far from my house, my parents decide it was time to move. We moved to Pahrump, a quiet town where gangs don't exist. One day in October, I was watching Baron and Budwieser play, when I noticed Baron was limping. I went outside and checked his paw ads thinking he had a rock stuck somewhere between his toes. Seeing nothing, I went inside and watched from my bedroom window. He wasn't limping so I dismissed it. Then in December, as I was breaking ice from their water bucket, I glanced at Baron and watched him rise stiffly from where he had been lying. I assumed it was from the cold and old age, after all he was 10. I mentioned it to my father. "Daddy, I think Baron is getting arthritis." Daddy looked at me funny. "Why do you say that? he asked. I paused. "He's stiff. He walks funny, and I have to massage his legs or he limps." Daddy's brow furrowed. He glaned at Mama. Mama nodded. "I noticed it too." Daddy replied, "We'll take him to the vet and see what he says." Daddy and Mama took Baron to the vet two weeks later. After school, I walked in the house, and saw Mama. "Well? What did the vet ay?" I asked as I shrugged out of my jacket. Daddy came down the hall and replied "It's hip displysia." Mama nodded. "What is that?" I asked. Mama said, "His hips aren't working right. He is having roblems walking, and getting up. The doctor is going to give him injections and see if that will help." I said okay and went outside to see how he was doind. I talked to him for two ours and rubbed his muscles. For five months, Mama and Daddy took on the hctic job oof tsking Baron into Vegas for his injections. Finally, Daddy admitted it wasn't doing any good. So on June 4,1998, a friend from the Sheriff's Office, Laurie Pringle came over to the house. In our garage, after we had taken our last pictures together, Laurie kindly ended his suffering by euthanizasa. I stayed with him for an hour after, he had died petting and telling him how sorry I was and how much I loved him.
I then ran into the house, sat on my bed and cried. Daddy and Mama joined me in my room, and we cried together. We had him cremated. I miss Baron, every day. But my heart fills with joy, when two days after Baron had passed away, I saw a rainbow. I glanced at Daddy and said, "Baron made it to Heaven. There's the Rainbow Bridge."