We met on a sunny but crisp January morning in 2012 at Sand Dunes Kennel in Florence, Oregon. She was one of eight English creme golden retrievers bundled in a corner of the kennel. Most of the others were sleeping or feeding. But this pup walked across the kennel to the base of my feet and untied my shoes. "This one has moxie," I said aloud. "She is the one."
We spent the next 13+ years together with our canine companion, much beloved by our entire family. We took trips galore to the beaches of the Oregon Coast and the hinterlands of the Cascade Mountains. She was our resident alarm system as she patrolled the perimeter of our fence. She had escaped death before. But on March 21, she passed.
The family is devastated. Moxie has been by my side for 18 percent of my current life span, and an integral part of our lives for well over a decade. It's been difficult for me to reconcile. My heart insists it's still mending. But my mind tells me to remember all the good times, all the funny moments and the pure joy and love that Moxie brought to our family.
We learned immediately that Moxie was not a good traveler. On the road back to Eugene, she threw up in the car. When we relocated her to the crate, she pooped in place. She was a Nervous Nellie whenever we traveled with her somewhere. But eventually, she came to tolerate our trips with much coaxing and reassurance, along with a comfortable berth in the car.
Moxie was not only a beautiful golden retriever, but her personality was pure sweetness and light. On walks, the people we met couldn't help but comment. Many felt a compelling need to pet her, and she always accommodated them. Kids loved her.
When I would leave town on a trip to hither and yon, I would often hear this: "She knows you're gone and she's slightly depressed about it." But when I would return, she would go bonkers with enthusiasm.
We spent much time together at our Owl Conservatory retreat in the North Cascades, enjoying our trail walks and meanderings in Shugart Flats. Unlike Carmen, who would wander off into the brush, causing great consternation, Moxie always stuck close by. Her loyalty and love for her family was off the charts. Interestingly, she had no interest in most other dogs...
...except for her beloved half-brother, whipping boy and chief ally, Boba Fett, an English bulldog adopted by my daughter's family. Buddies from the beginning, Moxie had no problem bossing Boba around. Yet she was a loving big sister to the irascible Boba Fett, whom could bully and intimidate much larger dogs, including a Russian wolfhound.
Despite the fact that she is a Capricorn, Moxie was pure water dog, whether it was cooling off in the kiddie pool we bought exclusively for her use, rolling in puddles over at the Lane County Fairgrounds, wading into the current of the Chiwawa River, or diving into the frigid waters at Lake Wenatchee State Park near the Owl Conservatory. She was all in.
Moxie was always my "wing pup" when I needed her the most. She was there for me: when I slipped in the backyard and fractured two vertebra, she diligently escorted me to the couch where I remained until having spinal fusion surgery; when I was in recovery mode, she never left my side; and when I slipped down the hallway stairs, she was the first to arrive.
She escaped death on several occasions, starting with a near miss by a speeding car when she bolted across the street to greet the mailman. But she also survived major surgery to have her spleen removed. An examination of the organ determined that the abscess was benign and she survived for two more years, even shaking off a stroke late last year.
What she could not escape was a traumatic injury she received at Suds 'Em, our longtime groomer. Our veterinarian confirmed that Moxie had suffered severe bruising around her neck, resulting in blood and fluid filling her lungs, making it harder for her to breathe, and preventing her from getting up on her back legs and walking. Negligence, plain and simple.
Despite the tragedy of her loss, we will remember the good times: chasing the Canadian geese over at the Lane County Fairgrounds, swimming with the other bathers at Lake Wenatchee State Park, walks on the beach near the Siuslaw Jetty in Florence and so much more over her 13 and a half years with our family.
We are heartbroken and we will miss her terribly. Some have asked: Is there another dog in my future? Goes without saying. Life is simply too short without a canine companion.
