A Beagle Named Cash by Brianna Merrill

Blaze and Cash

It’s a cold day outside, and the sunlight shining through the window is welcomed warmth. It’s just before noon and I am only now lying down in my bed, I’m exhausted. It was a long night at the hospital and an even longer and draining past 4 days.  I rotate onto my shoulder so I can see my 10 year old son clearly. He’s lying on a make-shift bed on the floor of my bedroom because he can’t be alone, not right now; we have to watch him all the time. He’s in pain, like usual, and he’s weak but he’s home and that’s where he likes to be, he hates hospitals and Dr’s offices and I don’t blame him, he’s been there way too many times in his life. The events of the past few days begin flooding my mind and I have to look away so he doesn’t see my tears, the knowledge of the high maintenance care my son is going to need from me these next  few months is overwhelming, physically, mentally and emotionally.

The humble beagle is known for its gentle spirit.
Cash's nurturing nature and empathy have healing properties.

Just as I think I may lose control and sob I see Cash, our 9 year old beagle waiting in the doorway. This is the one room in the house he’s not permitted to enter freely and he knows it, but he also has a sixth sense and knows when he’s needed.  I nod my head and wave my hand beckoning him in and he immediately comes to my bedside.  He tilts his head up and lays it against my mattress; he’s not quite tall enough so all that’s visible to me is the tip of his nose. I throw my hand over the side of the bed and rub his head a few times to let him know I’m okay.  As soon as he gets my reassuring pats he turns his attention to my son, he knows this is who really needs him and he also knows this is where I want him to focus his attention.  My son sleepily lifts his arm and Cash positions himself beneath it and then lies down beside him.  My 10 year old begins methodically stroking Cash’s fur and I can see the physical change happen. My son’s shoulders relax, the tightness and scrunching of his face releases and he begins to breathe deeply, he’s able to block out the pain and instead is feeling peaceful and I am grateful. 

Easing the pain.

It’s hard for me to imagine life without Cash’s calming presence in my home. We’ve only had him for 11 months but the way he fits into our family makes it feel like we have been lifelong friends.  I remember I had my doubts when we visited Richmond Animal League almost a year ago. Our neighborhood friend had just adopted a sweet and beautiful beagle from  RAL and it only took a few visits with my kids at the bus stop for them to be smitten. It also reminded me just how sweet natured this particular breed was. Unlike my children I grew up with dogs, usually two sometimes three. They were always adopted or a rescue my parents had helped with so I knew that if we ever got a dog we would adopt, but so far our life just didn’t seem to have room for anything more. My husband and I have five children ages 5 to 11 so to say we are plenty busy is an understatement. My two oldest had been asking for a dog since they could say the word but it was just too overwhelming to think of taking on more responsibility in those early years of raising our family. Even now with them barley reaching an age of genuine responsibility and accountability I kept asking myself if I truly wanted the burden of a family dog. But I could not ignore the nagging feeling that it was time to consider adopting a dog and our interactions with the friendly little beagle down the street only confirmed it.

We went to RAL and upon arrival my only request was that we not be shown any puppies. 

Amy McCRacken and Cricket (From the
RAL Website). Amy is the Executive Director
of RAL and knows firsthand about being
rescued by a rescue dog.

I knew the cuteness factor would cloud the kid’s judgment and who are we kidding, mine as well.  I also requested to first see their beagles. We were shown a few and even took one very anxious hound mix for a short walk. Then we were brought to see one beagle named Johnny Cash. The volunteer opened up his kennel and pulled him out declaring that he was one of her favorites. All I saw was the tag on his door declaring him to be nine years old, positive for heart worm and currently undergoing treatment for pneumonia. On top of that if I were to rank him on the cute scale he was less than a 5 for sure. Not that being cute was a major factor in our decision but when a dog looks as homely as he did at that time all I see is dollar signs in terms of healthcare and I had the list of ailments as evidence. But with some gentle persuasion the volunteer brought him and us out to the yard. It may not have been love at first sight with Cash but it was certainly love at first touch. He was an old and tender soul and he instinctively knew exactly how to interact with my kids. His temperament was amazing and by the time we were done it was hard to say goodbye.

www.ral.org

We went home with plans to think it over and have a family council to determine if we all understood what would be required of everyone. When it came time to decide which dog we wanted to adopt it was a unanimous vote for the homely and medically complicated dog. Johnny Cash had stolen our hearts and felt like the perfect fit which seemed odd given all the issues and what it was going to take to overcome them. I had wanted to avoid excess chaos, didn’t I?  Against any worries I was developing we put in our papers to adopt Mr. Cash, but over the next four weeks he would need to remain at RAL and finish his pneumonia treatment and then begin his heart worm treatment. We were starting our journey down the adoption trail on fairly rocky terrain as there was no guarantee Johhny Cash would survive the treatments due to his age and possible complications from his recent battle with pneumonia. During his heart worm treatment I would visit the shelter as many days as possible just to hold and comfort him and whisper that we would not leave him there much longer. It became torture to visit and hold his frail little body just to put him back in the kennel with only a promise of returning the next day.  But it was during these consecutive one on one visits I made to RAL when I began to see more of what made him so special. Before we ever brought him home I was looking into therapy dog programs and the requirements to certify him. There was a quiet energy he carried and compassion seemed to be his middle name. I knew he could do great things for not only our family but others as well.

Now here we are almost 11 months later and he has far exceeded my earliest expectations.  He has proven himself to be a devoted and tender companion for each person in the family, especially my oldest son who battles an incurable disease. There is little therapy and relief for his unique illness and before Cash came into our lives I often just had to hold my son and tell him things would be okay and the pain would go away, knowing my words were of little help. Now Cash holds him close to his body with matched breathing and helps him forget the pain until it passes. He does the same for some of the elderly we visit in assisted living facilities. He gently places his paws in their laps and raises his nose to theirs and in those moments he brings a temporary relief from the emotional pain and loneliness many of the resident’s experience. Many tears of joy have been shed as we make our scheduled visits always ending with promises to return because of the palpable love and tenderness he brings with him.

This last fall I thought we’d have to break those promises when Cash was bitten by a

A copperhead snake.

copperhead snake. We had been enjoying the last few hours of the day playing with the kids outside when Cash and I retired to the hammock, a favorite spot of ours when the weather permits.  As dusk approached I began mustering the strength to get up and call it a day when Cash raised his head from off my chest and with a growl leaped from the hammock. He has never growled, he doesn’t even bark so I knew something was wrong. As soon as I turned my head and body over to see what caused such an unusual reaction I saw Cash struck in the face by a large copperhead just 2 feet from my own head. The following moments were sheer panic. My husband drove us to the nearest emergency vet while I held him and just cried, terrified he wouldn’t make it as his breathing became more labored and he struggled to get air through his grotesquely swollen snout and throat. By the time we got there only 15 minutes from the time he was bitten his entire body was swollen beyond recognition and he was gasping for breath. I felt so guilty, I knew he was protecting me in that moment he jumped down off the hammock and seeing his swollen body I knew it could have so easily been mine. I whispered again for him to hold on, he had so much more to offer, so much more to do, more people who needed him and most of all we needed him. He had proven to be a fighter once before and I begged him to do it again. Well he didn’t disappoint and pulled through just like we prayed he would. Only three weeks later he was back to doing what he does best, helping people. With him fully recovered we went on a camping trip with friends where he managed to help a young boy overcome his extreme fear of dogs. Our friend who could hardly look at a dog without screaming in fear ended the 2 day trip, walking, feeding, petting and hugging Cash with a vow and a new found excitement  to do it all again next  year.  Cash was his new “best friend”.

Cash, right where he belongs.

They’re asleep now, Cash and my son, and as I look over the two of them I am so grateful not only for our sweet dog’s larger acts of devotion and sacrifice but all of the small ones he manages to accomplish every day.  The laughter he brings when the kids command him to “be cute” and he drops his face to the floor while wagging his butt in the air. Or the squeals of excitement when he finds the kids hiding spot during their unique version of hide and seek which is formatted to include Cash. Some days he’s the exact remedy I need to help get all five kids in the car to go to school. Usually someone has complaints about not wanting to go but as soon as I open the front door Cash rushes out to the car, excited and anxious to go for a ride. Tears and “I don’t want to’s” are immediately forgotten as everyone wants the coveted seat beside Cash. Even in the winter months when it’s cold and he rolls down the car window to stick his head out, we can’t help but laugh through our chattering teeth at him as my five year old exclaims “silly Cash!” It’s when he knows I’m over whelmed or annoyed and instead of leaving me alone or avoiding me he bugs me all the more until I pause and return the affection he is giving me. He puts his face next to mine, looks me directly in the eye and just like that, my crazed pace slows and he reminds me to take it easy and stop and smell the roses, or sometimes stop and smell every single mailbox along our walking route and then my daughters words “silly Cash” echo through my mind. During the day when the house is quiet and the kids are in school he is my shadow and even when he is in mid slumber if I leave the room he immediately wakes and follows without any command or noise from me. Yes it’s the little moments when he truly shines, little moments like now as he cuddles up against my sick boy. It’s a cold day outside but it’s warm here beside Cash, it’s warm here because of him.