There are some pains in Life that can not be avoided. The passing of a devoted, loyal, and loving pet is one of those Life-pains.
So it is here in The Pasture that we mourn the passing of a beloved and most loyal dog, Buck at 2215 on Wednesday, 30 Jan 2008. He was a sickly abandoned Lab puppy when Lady Beth first saw him some 13+ years ago. Covered in fleas and anemic from the hundreds of ticks bites on his tiny body there was some concern that he would not survive. Yet survive he did. Moreover, Buck thrived!
The Bull did not meet Buck until late in the dog’s life, some four plus years ago. Right away I knew there was something special about him. He seemed to always know when someone needed a little love, especially Lady Beth. She credits him with saving her sanity, (if not her life), when she endured the traumatic break up of her first marriage some years back. Her first ‘dog of her own’, she was 18 when Buck made his entrance into her heart. Here is what Lady Beth had to say on her MySpace page…
For those of you who know me, you know how big a part of my life Buck was.
Tony found him one night while he was delivering pizzas. We were only 18 years old, and he was a tiny, scared, flea covered puppy.
He has been with us through everything life threw at us for the past 13 years. He used to snuggle next to me under the covers in our first house, when we didn’t have any heat. He always came when you called him (well, eventually). He got lost once, but we found him. He could bark at perfectly timed 2 second intervals indefinitely. He never smelled bad, never had fleas and never had accidents in the house. He hated thunderstorms and fireworks, but would be OK if he could snuggle with someone. He loved his collar, car rides, couches, pizza and us.
He was the best dog ever and we will all miss him.
Buck was indeed the finest dog I ever met – and I’ve known a lot of dogs in my lifetime! It is hard to add anything to what Lady Beth had to say, save for a couple of memories and observations of my own.
- Buck could climb trees, especially when chasing a squirrel. (How many Labs do you know that can do that?)
- He was the best at catching things in mid-air, especially when it was pizza crust.
- Buck was the only dog I ever met that would actually get paranoid when he didn’t have his collar on.
- No matter how long we were gone during the day we knew that Buck could be trusted in the house alone. He wouldn’t get into things and he would never have an ‘accident’. He’d rather explode than to go in the house.
- Lady Beth was also correct about his scent. He was the only dog I’ve ever met that never once smelled bad. He always had a very pleasant, kinda spicy scent about him. No matter what the weather, or what he had been doing.
- Buck was the most tolerant of creatures. He had to contend with many various beast being brought into our yard and home, from cats and dogs to snakes and ferrets, and he accepted them all without a fuss.
- He loved the children – all children – and set the example for our Great Danes in that regard. He would watch of the kids as they played and loved nothing more than being included in their games.
There is only one small point I’d have to disagree on with my beloved wife: Buck’s ‘I want back in’ bark was “not perfectly timed 2 second intervals“. It was high-pitched, chopped-off barks at precisely one second intervals and could make you skin crawl right off your body in less that a minute. I miss that bark already.
Yes, Buck was the best of dogs. He has left a hole in each of our hearts that will never be filled, and with thousands of great memories that will last a lifetime.
Our loyal friend was buried today here at The Pasture – outside of the fence. If you knew Buck then you’d know how important that detail really is…
Buck
July 15, 1995 – January 30, 2008
Rest now, our faithful friend.
Bull, out. 
Another problem I have is, indeed, Dog’s use of the ‘N’ word. Frankly, I don’t like the word. The only time my dear old Dad ever used his hand against me was for the use of that word when I was just a wee lad. With one swing of his massively muscled arm he rolled my miserable ass across the lawn – and rightfully so. It is a term that is offensive to me, and to Society on the whole. My children know that should ever that word fall from their lips in my presence that they can expect exactly the same treatment I got all those years ago. Despite my personal feelings we must come to terms with the facts surrounding the word ‘nigger’. 
