Rockne Amadeus

San Antonio TX

Description

I really had no intentions of getting a dog – I really hadn’t gotten over Cleveland passing. I was just looking on Craigslist at the pups. I don’t know why I messaged that young lady but her story sounded desperate.  “I have a year old lab named Troy. My husband and I have split.  We sold the house the new owners do not want the dog.  The lady I am staying with is not allowed to have pets. If I can’t find someone to take him – I will turn him over to the pound. Please help.”  I messaged and thought maybe I could find someone to help. She pressed hard and really wanted to find him a home – I agreed to meet her at Buffalo Wild Wings in Live Oak.  Just to see if I was ready – she pressed even harder and I said OK.  She must have known I would take him she had his bowls and food and on the coldest night of the year 2003… I found myself driving back to Seguin with a one  year old yellow lab named Troy. We got off to a rough start. Live Oak and Seguin are 30 minutes from each other – when we arrived at my house I had to use the rest room so I knew he had to use it also. So I let him out the back door while I went to the restroom (number #1). When I finished I got his bowl and filled it. I went to the back yard to get him and he was no where to be found. Turns out he was smarter than I thought – he lifted the cyclone fence gate lock with his nose and walked right through. Did I tell you it was about midnight? Did I also tell you it was the coldest night of 2003? So there I went looking for this dog that had no way of knowing his way home. I was out for 2 hours and even asked one of the Seguin police if they saw a yellow lab wandering to call me and I would go get him.  It was cold and I had to go and get some more clothes on after 2 hours looking. I put them on and went to the door to go  back out and there coming around the corner with his head bowed and looking shy and sad and cold was the pup. I approached him softly and led him back in the house. That was the first and the last time he ever went further than five feet away. That name had to go and being the Notre Dame fan that I am – only one name would fit. And it fit well. ROCKNE.  When I went away and did my time for the mistakes I made, I was told he laid by the front door every night (He never slept anywhere except in my room – either on the bed or on the floor.)  When I got sick he would lay at the end of the bed and watch me.  When I returned home from the Hospital after spending 40 days in because of my appendix exploding…. Rockne made sure anywhere I was – one of his paws was able to reach me. So many pictures of him – not all because I was trying to.  He was a professional photo bomber! And, he was good at it! The end came quick. He went outside and never came back in. I went outside to check on him and there he was lying in the shade. I panicked – I lifted him up -  his breathing was shallow I was telling him to hold on – I was going to get him to the vet. (Before you read on please know that this next sentence contains the happiest and saddest moment of my life.) He squirmed in my arms lifted his head and licked my cheek, and then fell limp in my arms. He weighed 100 pounds and I hugged him and held him in the air. The tears just came and would not stop. I sat outside for a few hours just petting him and telling him how much he was loved. To this day I know I should have gone first. He was too good for this world and I have done nothing but mess mine up. But I did do one thing right.  I adopted the best dog ever. I buried him in his favorite Notre Dame throw blanket. Only he and I know where he rests – but it’s a REALLY NICE place. It's been five years and I miss him every day more than the day before. He was my best friend.