Vilkis (1993 - 20.07.2006)

Independent boy who took himself for walks without us and who had to be carried to the end.



D's father came home from work on Tuesday night (the night we put Wuffy to sleep) and found their family's dog paralysed from the waist down. They took him to the vet because it was so dire a situation. The vet diagnosed that Vilkis ("Wolf") had a tumour on his spine that had finally pressed too much against the spinal cord and had rendered him incapable of moving anything from the site of the tumour onward. An injection and a course of tablets was administered - possibly just as a soother for the family than anything helpful (well, of course painkilling, but) against the progression (or towards the recession) of the tumour. The vet informed them that if the tablets did not help by the next day, then they would need to come back and put him to sleep.

Vilkis was always friendly - he loved running from one end of the garden to the other with me, while D worked on another of his infernal cars, and playing with the empty cordial bottles that we through for him (easier to grab in his teeth). He used to lick my toes in excitement at my visiting him, and he would eat his dried dog food in order of colour and shape (a good example is in the photo - yes, he did that all by himself).

Vilkis helped me when I began to learn Lithuanian - even if I learnt "sit", "stay", and "good dog" and couldn't really use those in conversation, it was still the start I needed. Silly Vilkis who wouldn't let D relieve himself in the garden without trying to do the same on the same spot at the same time and nearly getting himself wet!

I feel really awful that I didn't have a chance to say goodbye. D was worried to tell me after the death of our bird, then Wuff ... but I might have had a chance to say goodbye, because it wasn't until this morning that they took Vilkis to the vet and said their final goodbyes to him. I feel quite bad about this - since D moved to Bobute's, we haven't visited Vilkis as much because there's not been much call to go to his dad's place.

I'm glad that he and Wuffy went together though. They were good mates - we sometimes took them walking in the nearest national park together.