Rest in Peace, our darling Wolfhound
A few days ago we said goodbye to our big, hairy, droopy wolfhound Tully. He was more than just our (Dr. Jason and Arnica’s) family pet; he was beloved by many people throughout Kelowna. If you met him lounging at the coffee shop, volunteering at the elementary school or making friends at the clinic, chances are he brightened up your day. With his big goofy grin, towering height and sweet countenance, Tully instigated connection and joy wherever he went.
Tully was a survivor. A sensitive soul, he was still incredibly stoic when bone cancer arrived in his back leg a year ago. He never got crabby or mean when he was in pain; instead, he simply needed more cuddles and love.
We don’t regret the great lengths we went up fight the disease: the radiation, chemo, and holistic therapy halted the progress of the tumour a month after it was diagnosed. Tully was able to live a great quality of life, pain free for many months after.
Unfortunately, at the beginning of this summer, Tully broke his leg through the old tumour site, and we had to amputate his leg. Once again he bounced back, grinning at strangers at the coffee shop, hopping through the neighbourhood on walks and snuggling his new little dachshund brothers. His indomitable spirit was inspiring. Only a few days before he passed, he was splashing in the creek, then sitting on the patio downtown while we had brunch, giving his huge kisses and delighting passersby.
We don’t know what happened, but somehow overnight Tully lost control of his backend. It broke our hearts to say goodbye. It doesn’t matter that we had a year’s warning; he was only three and a half years old. His incredible joy of life burned so bright and went out too soon.
Tully’s passing leaves us with a huge hole in our lives. It’s hard to go through the day without his mountainous “hugs” knocking us over, his tree trunk legs kicking us in bed, his drool flying onto the living room walls, his big bony bum squishing our laps and his huge pink tongue snaking a kiss when least expected. We are devastated.
We are so sorry we had to deliver this news to those of you that knew and loved Tully.
Most sincerely, Arnica and Jason
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