In Memoriam Hogan

It's been quiet here the past couple weeks because we lost a family member last Saturday, August 31.

Hogan

Our beloved Hogan had been deteriorating, both in mind and body (the vet confirmed that he had Wobbler's Syndrome, a compression of the spinal cord). Last week we made the difficult decision to have him put down. A mobile veterinarian came into our home Saturday afternoon, and within a half hour, put him to rest in his own bed. The vet was most gentle, loving, and understanding, but the pain of losing Hogan wasn't diminished. We have no doubts that we made the right decision, but we miss him tremendously.

If only Hogan could have talked.

Our daughter Jill, adopted Hogan on October 30, 2005 from a shelter in Kansas City, where he was on "death row." She said she chose him because, as she walked by all the dogs in their cages, he was the only one who didn't jump up as she passed. Then, when she asked to see him, and they went outside to get acquainted, he went to a corner and pee'd. And pee'd and pee'd. He'd been holding himself so as not to mess his indoor space. Jill decided that being cute, as well as housebroken, was a plus. Hogan never pee'd in the house.

And gosh, he was cute! A darling combination of mostly beagle, and a little chow-chow.

A vet estimated that Hogan was two years old when Jill adopted him. So, we recognized his birthday as October 1, 2003. Hogan would have been 16 years old in October.

This is the first time Jill and Hogan came to visit us in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Hogan lived with Jill in Kansas City, and when a work assignment took her to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), he went with her. This is a family favorite picture of him when he lived there. He's got a chew stick in his mouth that looks like a cigar!

In 2006, Jill's new work assignment took her to Sydney, Australia. However, due to that country's animal regulations, Hogan didn't qualify to enter the country. He had canine ehrlichiosis (common among dogs from Missouri who have been bitten and infected by a tick), so his blood count didn't meet Australia's standards. Treatment is an antibiotic. Jill went to Australia without Hogan, while he stayed in Abu Dhabi, living in a kennel and receiving antibiotic injections. Each month, for three months, his blood was tested; he never met Australia's requirements. So, in July 2007, Jill made the difficult - and expensive! - decision to have Hogan shipped via air cargo from Abu Dhabi to Dubai to London to Chicago. Dan and I drove from West Des Moines to British Airways cargo terminal to get Hogan. He has been ours ever since.

At our West Des Moines home, his favorite spot was on this little ledge in front of the living room windows. He could see cars and pedestrians go by on our corner lot.

Hogan absolutely adored winter in Iowa. The colder the better.

I can't help but giggle when I watch this December 9, 2009 video of Dan taking Hogan on a walk during a blizzard. This is one of the few times I saw Hogan rather be at home than in the snow!

Once we moved to Florida, it was apparent that he needed a window spot in our new house. In my sewing room, this padded bench that I covered with batting and fabric was exactly the same height as the window sill. It became one of his favorite places. 

Hogan was a tough boy. Already blind in his left eye due to glaucoma, in 2014 he went through surgery to have that eye removed because it was causing pressure that gave him migraine headaches. The University of Florida in Gainesville is where Hogan received wonderful treatment by a skilled veterinarian.

In January, 2016, here in The Villages, Hogan had surgery on a lump.

The veterinarian found soft tissue sarcoma, explaining that she went through four layers of tissue and still couldn't get clean margins. She suggested we take him to an Orlando veterinarian for radiation treatment. We opted not to put Hogan through that, and were told to expect that he would live only three to six months.

He remained with us for another 3-1/2 years.

Hogan was often my sewing companion, keeping me company during quilting activities. This was our "I'm registering for QuiltCon" picture.

 

He helped Dan in the kitchen. 

 

He was a good on-the-floor cuddler. He never slept in our bed.

I like this 2017 video because it's Hogan at his finest... pestering in the evening. Hear his distinctive beagle bark.

These pictures make me smile because Hogan found inexplicable pleasure in hiding his head under our dry bar.

Isn't this a great picture of my housekeeping skills? Hogan was ever-shedding, and hair tumbleweeds were always visible a day or two after vacuuming.

Another picture that makes me smile is from earlier this year when we were visiting Jill in Kansas City. I found Hogan tightly curled up in Milson's bed.

Milson is their teacup poodle!

Hogan, in July, at Jill's Missouri lake home.

Monday, August 26 (our 47th wedding anniversary) Dan and Hogan returned from a very slow walk.
By comparison, in this picture he looks very sad - ears down, tail down. He was likely in pain. When he felt good, that tail was always up, perky and wagging 100 miles an hour!

Our hearts are in shreds, but I know time will heal. I have reassurance in God's promise that Hogan is in His care now, and I will see him again someday.

You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. - Psalm 36:6 (NLV)

I'm grateful to have this blog as a therapeutic means of expressing my grief, and sharing good memories of being dog-owners - dog-lovers - who were loved by a dog.

We love you Hogan. 💔 Linda