We lost two dogs during the first long lockdown. First we lost Gibbs who was fine and then without any warning, died between three and four in the afternoon. He didn’t appear sick and the vet said it was probably some kind of heart event. Dogs don’t have heart attacks like people, but they get tumors — not necessarily malignant — but located near their hearts and when they break through to the heart, the dog will just fall down dead. And that is what happened to Gibbs. It is most common in Labrador Retrievers, but not uncommon among all dogs.

At least we were spared that terrible last year when you know your dog is dying and you don’t know what to do. It’s a terrible time.

This portrait absolutely looks like Gibbs. Owen and Garry instantly recognized him. All purebred dogs do not look the same, though people who don’t own them often don’t realize how unique each dog is.

He was a long, low Scotty. A bit long in the back for the currently fashionable style of Scottish Terrier. He had the most meltingly warm brown eyes and when he looked at you, it was pure love. He was nine when we adopted him. He had been a stud dog and had never had a home of his own. It took him a few weeks, but after that, he was ours and we were his. He was 13 when he died, stretched out, asleep on the sofa. Garry tried to wake him for dinner and when he didn’t wake, I went over. I saw his tongue was blue and he was not breathing.

He was a special boy and we loved him. In fewer than six weeks, Bonnie was gone too. It was the first time we did not have a terrier in our home in close to 30 years. We were lucky that Kaity had brought the Duke to live with us because the heartbreak of losing both Scotties in under two months would have torn us to pieces had we not had at least one furry to love.

Categories: #Sketchbook, Anecdote, Arts, Drawings, Scottish Terrier

Tags: #Sketchbook, Arts, Drawings, Marilyn Armstrong, Scottish Terrier