Oliver (Ollie, Boo)
August 5, 1999 – December 23, 2011
Oliver was always the rascal puppy that would not be penned; he had an uncanny ability to slip past gates, doors, and fences. He grew up running the trails above Morrison with us behaving with perfect trail manners for other hikers both human and canine. The only person he would allow to “baby” him was his big sister Jen. When she moved away, his four-legged companion Cassie kept him company right to the end. Ollie forever had boundless energy for walks and playing ball; he unfailingly remembered where the ball had been lost or hidden even in five-foot snowbanks. He hated being left behind; where ever we were, he believed he should be there with us. When he first came home with us, we had many rules for raising our new puppy, and one by one Ollie made us amend them all. From the time he could jump onto the bed, he slept between us, stole the pillows and hogged the blankets.
Ollie seemed to think of himself as our child probably because we treated him as such. He communicated with us with his melodic howls and insistent yelps, especially if he thought we were late with dinner. He loved our visitors and always had to insert himself into every conversation and sit in the middle of any gathering. He was the great tomato thief, never saw a tissue he didn’t want to shred, and believed he had to keep the yard safe from squirrels. On more than one occasion, he chased birds with great confidence and ended up flying off the embankment into the lake or out of the boat in the middle of the reservoir.
Eighteen months ago, glaucoma took his left eye. After his surgery, he bounced back. Yet sadly, when glaucoma finally claimed all the remaining vision in his right eye, his world closed in on him. Never wanting to be confined, his blindness and partial deafness now made him anxious and he paced from wall to wall, fence to fence. He let us know how unhappy he was not seeing by closing us out of his world, not responding to our voices or even favorite treats. To relieve his pain and confusion, we sadly decided to let him return to a seeing world beyond this one. With his beloved human family and doggy companion surrounding him, we allowed him to leave us in the kindest way we could–at home with the assistance of Dr. Andrew. We feel privileged to have experienced Oliver’s unconditional love though we are incredibly sad to say goodbye so soon. Thank you, Ollie, for keeping us warm and smiling for 12 and a half years. We will always love you; we will never forget you.