Farewell Old Friend

Todd Hurst -- October 1998 -- July 2008

We loved you so much Todd!!! We miss you!

He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.) When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him. And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog." - Gene Hill

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We had a very sad afternoon today. DJ and I were coming home from working in my classroom this afternoon and it was raining pretty hard. It had been pretty bad by the time we got to our street. As we passed our street headed to get Zach from daycare, I noticed a car pulled off the side of the road and thought "Oh I hope no one has had an accident." Then as we came up on the car, I noticed something black in the street and thought he must be having tire problems. As I drove slowly by him, I noticed that it was a dog covered with a black cloth. DJ noticed it too. He said, "Mommy it's Todd." I pulled off the road and jumped out of the car. The man was standing across the street from me, both of us soaking wet from the rain. He stopped traffic so that I could get to Todd. Todd was still breathing. I tried to get my hands under him to move him and, like any injured dog, he growled and tried to snap at me. The man (don't know his name) had also tried with no avail earlier. This wonderful man had taken his shirt off to cover Todd (that was the black cloth I saw when I pulled up). As it continued to steadily rain, I sat down in the road beside Todd. DJ was in the car crying hysterically. After getting the story from the guy, it turns out that he and his wife live in the house on McIntosh that faces our street. They were on there porch when he heard a dog crying and so he got in his car and went looking, that is when he found Todd. I went to DJ after seeing that Todd was still breathing. I assured him that everything would be o.k. -- of course, not knowing myself. We realized we weren't going to be able to move him, so we called the Oxford Police. I explained that we needed help moving him until David and my Dad got there to take him to the vet. It was just minutes later that I noticed Todd's breathing was becoming more and more labored. The sweet man from up the road was still there with me. Both of us crying. He just kept saying how sorry he was that he couldn't get him moved. He continued to direct traffic around us. I sat back in the road with Todd. He let me rub his head and He took a few more labored breaths and was gone. I called David and told him. He was on his way from Talladega and just didn't make it in time. The police finally got there about 10 minutes after Todd passed. The officer and the nice man rolled Todd onto the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beach towel I had in the car that I had covered Todd with. They moved him to the side of the road. I went to DJ and told him. I was blocking his view and told him that it was o.k. because Todd had gone to Doggy Heaven. The nice man closed Todd's eyes and sat with me a few minutes. I told him that he had done more than enough and my husband and dad were on the way. He went back to his house (literally 200 yards away maybe). I sat in the driveway by the side of the road where had moved Todd and just cried. David got there a few minutes later. He stayed with Todd and DJ and I went to get Zach from daycare. I went back to where Todd was and waited with David for my dad. Daddy got there and David and I loaded him on the back of the truck. DJ said he wanted to bury Todd at the farm where he would be safe. We mentioned burying him in the back yard, but DJ told me "Mom, he got out once, he might get out again! We have to take him the farm." So, I went and quickly changed clothes and shoes and met my Dad out at the farm. He called a friend of his to help dig the hole and we buried Todd in a shaded spot -- which he will love -- between two trees. Granny had made burgers and fries for dinner and the boys had eaten with Aunt Allie while I was taking care of the "matter." Thank you to all of you for helping us with this!

We will miss you Todd!!!