Pooh Bear
August 1994 – November 2010
This special Red Heeler came into our lives in 1994 as a cute and innocent little puppy that fit into the palm of your hand. She quickly turned into a crazy and instigating little bundle of joy. She was as tough as they come, and looked like a little bear. She seemed to have nine lives, and lived all of them to the fullest. When she was just three months old, she somehow broke her hind leg (probably playing with her Border Collie pal, Tux). We elected to have surgery done, and she ended up with numerous pins holding her leg together. We converted the hot tub to a therapy pool for the healing of her leg – she loved that. Through her younger years, she was constantly instigating trouble, and loved getting into things. She made it a mission to chew and destroy every UPS box that was delivered, and chewed up as many shoes as possible well into her teens. Through her life, she had many close encounters with danger – the broken leg, eating fly poison, nearly swallowing a stick pin, and being run over by a vehicle twice (the second time she was 14 years old), plus many other events. Her toughness and spirit got her through all of her close calls. She loved her “farm life”, and could smile like no other dog. Even when she was in trouble for something, you couldn’t help but smile when you looked at her – she was a very happy girl, and would get sassy if you didn’t give her all the attention she wanted. In her later years, she lost her eyesight and her hearing, but she had a keen sense of smell, and managed to find her way around without any trouble. At the age of 16, she was still doing great until the final day when she told us that she was ready to go. We are so grateful to Dr. Susan Donohue for helping us help Pooh Bear, and helping her realize that she didn’t have to be tough any longer. She had an incredibly full life, will be missed greatly, and remembered fondly.
Heather and Dirk Banks