On Friday April 29, 2011, our beloved Rusty left this world and traveled to the Rainbow Bridge. He entered our home and our hearts 16 years ago, and immediately took charge. He was a dachshund through and through, from his fierce guard dog bark to his enormous heart. He was a stubborn, independent and intelligent little fellow who soon had us trained. He was able to con the other dogs out of their treats every time by playing with their favorite toys, until his unsuspecting victims would leave the treat and go to play….and then Rusty would snatch their treat! We loved every bit of him. Until he started to decline, he would run to the door every time that we came home to greet us and let us know that we were missed. He was a “schoocie-bug” and loved to snuggle up to us every night in bed. He had a beautiful coat, just the right mixture of red with a few black highlights that would glisten in the sunlight. And his ears….they were as soft as velvet.
As he aged, he encountered health problems, and started on a steady but too rapid decline. Our minds knew what we had to do, but our hearts were torn apart. Our thanks to Dr. Cooney and Home to Heaven for their compassionate and professional assistance in helping Rusty experience a peaceful death. As I held him in my arms and against my chest, with his dad right next to us, he breathed his last, as we stroked those oh so soft ears.
It has been so soon since his death that we are still crying and missing him terribly…but we are so thankful that he was a part of our lives and will forever live in our hearts. By the grace of God, we will see you again, dear sweet Rusty!
–Paul and Paula Andreson