The Passing of My Most Loyal UO Playing Buddy

[Maldar]

It is with a heavy heart that I find myself announcing the death of the one friend that has been with me for all ten years of playing UO. If I got in game at sunrise, he was there. If I was in game at 3:00 AM, he was always there. He was by my side as my Smithy hammered away or my Tailor sewed up my tunic. He was with me in every fight I have ever fought. It is a rare friend that stays with you regardless of the circumstances. He jumped with me when I found that special item in game and he was just as anxious as I when my hit points were dropping faster than I could heal. He was with me ten years ago when I was killed by a bull. He was with me last night while I farmed Bedlam.
His name was Nigel. It means "Dark Knight." He was 14-years old. He was the best black Labrador Retriever in all of Sonoma.
When I called it a night around 3:30 AM last night, he was asleep at my feet. I walked down the hallway and he heard me and got up to follow me to bed. I heard him yelp just once in pain and saw him favoring one of his hind legs. Nevertheless, he stayed by my side, as always, and limped to the bedroom with me. I figured he just had a cramp or pinched nerve from lying at my feet for the past 7 hours since he wasn't whimpering at all. We both lied down and went to sleep. When he was still favoring that leg this morning, I took him to the Vet. The Vet took x-rays and found his hind leg was shattered and that he had bone cancer. The Vet was amazed that he had not been showing his pain since he must have been in terrible pain for many years, let alone with his leg shattered, he said. He was a true warrior. In tears (as I am now as I type this) I phoned my wife and told her the Vet needed to put him out of his misery right away. She had me make him wait until she and my daughter could get there. As he lay upon the table, I could tell by his sad, intelligent brown eyes that he knew I was in pain......sobbing and comforting him. He knew something was terribly wrong. When my wife and daughter arrived, we all said our goodbyes. My wife leaned down and he licked her lips, as he always did. My daughter leaned down and he kissed her lips, as well. Then I leaned down. He raised his head a little in order to cock it and look at me better. You see, I never let him lick my lips before.......but he knew and he kissed me, too. The Vet gave him the shot and, with his stethoscope against Nigel's chest, waited for his heart to stop. When it was over, even though I had spinal surgery just a few months ago, I wouldn't let anyone help me as I picked up his limp, 114-pound, still warm body and carried him to my car. I dug a deep hole in the middle of several white pines in our backyard, wrapped him (along with his favorite toy that the pet shop Santa had given him for Christmas when he had his photo taken with him) in a blanket that had my scent on it, and painfully eased him into the hole.....covering him with the dirt. I placed a cement bench next to his grave and spent the day there. Then I came back to Sonoma....where we had happily spent the last ten years together.

[Ciara]

Thank you for sharing a beautiful eulogy for your beloved friend. My deepest sympathy on your loss.

[Irwin Hunter]

Words cannot express how hard the loss of a long time companion and friend can be. Our prayers are with you at this time of sorrow and grief.

[Sagan]

One of the Hardest things I have ever had to do was bury Sasha, my 4 year old malamute. Arguably the best dog I ever had. My sympathies go out to you Maldar. I share your pain and your grief.

[Lord Drakelord]

It is sad to lose a good friend, and we feel your lost sir.

[Atta Kquast]

You let me remember my favorite pet this morning, and thanks for that. Im sorry for your loss.

[Darkstar]

So sorry for your loss

[Taylanna]

I'm sorry for your loss

[Maldar]

Thank you, everyone, for your kind thoughts and Atta, I'm glad you thought of your favorite pet this morning. We need to think about them once in a while in order to remember to give everyone our unconditional love and loyalty just as they do and did. We can learn from them.

[KDSonoma]

we have had to put down my first 2 kids (our first dogs), age 15 and 16, and I couldnt do it. We took them both to the vet and my wife had to walk them in to be put to sleep. She brought me their chains and I still pick them up and remember them.

they were our kids before we had Katie and Kelli, and we treated them just like family.

We do the same for our current two dogs, and I'm crying as I post this, because I loved both of those dogs to absolute death, and I love my dogs now.

Theres a very effective commercial that plays a lot down here for the humane society that shows abused dogs and cats needing homes. Everyone here knows they have to flip the channel immediately when it comes on, I cant stand to watch that for 5 seconds.

It amazes me how many people abuse their dogs and cats. I told my wife years ago that if I had not married her, I would have a hundred dogs from the shelters, and we would all live in the country in a big house with lots of room.

I also appreciate your post, because even though its hard to remember their passing, I also remember the incredible moments. Two things about Casey, our Sheltie-Dachsund mix (yeah go figure that combo). Smartest dog I ever saw. She would follow me around everywhere, and would do what I wanted without my needing to do anything other than snap my fingers.

When we brought katie home as a baby, it was the first time our dogs had seen babies, and I knew from my childhood that I needed to make sure they bonded with the babies and didnt see them as a threat, just a part of their pack (family).

I put katie on the couch, and Casey jumped up and sat and watched her. A friend came over to see Katie, and as he walked into the living room, that long fat dachsund dog (8 yrs old at the time) leaped off the couch in between my friend and Katie, and growled at my friend. Wow.

The other image Ill never forget is Katie laying on Casey's back and tugging her ears like mad. Casey just sat there, face all scrunched up, like she enjoyed it. I know it had to hurt her, cause she didnt really like having her ears pulled. But she let Katie do that all the time.

Wow what a dog.

KD

[Damien Kilcannon]

Theres a very effective commercial that plays a lot down here for the humane society that shows abused dogs and cats needing homes. Everyone here knows they have to flip the channel immediately when it comes on, I cant stand to watch that for 5 seconds.
KD

There is one that plays up here in Iowa as well..Has Sarah Mclaughlin(or however you spell her name) and I can't stand to watch it either.

Last fall my parents had to put my dog to sleep too...Her name was Snowflake...She was the most gentle little dog and I miss her very much...I was unable to bring her with me when I moved out here to Iowa and by the time I was settled here my step-dad had fallen in love with her too so I couldn't take her back...and my step-dad is NOT an animal lover...He was pissed when I bought my mom two finches for her birthday one year...

My wife and I took in a little guy a little over a year ago when we saw a flyer about him being found running down the highway after being thrown from a moving vehicle...luckily he was not seriously hurt and he has become a big part of this family...he sits next to me when I play and roots me on...His name is Goober...because that is what he is....a little Goober...LOL

[Maldar]

Theres a very effective commercial that plays a lot down here for the humane society that shows abused dogs and cats needing homes. Everyone here knows they have to flip the channel immediately when it comes on, I cant stand to watch that for 5 seconds.

Yeah, we change the channel real fast on that one, too. Sometimes I find myself watching it without being able to turn away, though. Usually when I am alone.

Damien, Goober looks like a great dog.

[Brianna]

maldar i feel your pain...in 10th grade i gave up on pets because everyone i got died(liver really does kill) so when we went to this junkyard one day for a part i seen this adorable brown puppy and i picked her up well as soon as her weight settled in my arms and she quit squirming i realized she was bleeding so i sat down to check her out...turns out that gorgeous brown puppy was totally covered in ticks from head to tail and they were so big they were busting from the pressure and that gave her the brown look so i sat there for about 30 minutes picking ticks off of her when my parents said it was time to go...the owner of the junkyard told me to take the dog if i wanted it and i just started bawling cause i knew if i took the dog it meant certain death and i couldnt do that to her then the guy stated that if i didnt take her he was going to put her out of her misery and his too so i had no choice i took LadyBug home with me that day

after many years of living with me and my family i hooked up with someone and we lived in an apartment that didnt allow pets so i left LadyBug with my mom cause i knew mom would take care of her...then i moved back home due to real life teaching me some lessons and there was LadyBug...well due to me and my not getting along and me wanting to explore the US i left LadyBug with mom again and this time headed to Oregon...not 2 months after being in Oregon my LadyBug died due to a broken heart and i still cry about not being able to tell her i love her one last time...


thank you for posting about your best friend cause with out them we will never learn unconditional love and forgiveness


love bri

[Maldar]

Thank you for sharing your stories, everyone. Sadly, it is comforting to know I'm not alone.

I just tried to insert a photo of Nigel and discovered I have no clue how you did it, Damien.

Can someone walk me through it, please?[/img]

[Damien Kilcannon]

I have an account at a photo hosting website... www.photobucket.com ...I upload the photo I want to post and copy and paste the img info into the post...