Turbo-dog and Kitty back in Daytona

There are only two things I would pack up and take with me if we were evacuated from the beach side of Daytona, where I used to live: my animals and my photo albums. Since both of my parents have passed away, my father since I’ve been on this trip, the photos have taken on deeper significance.

Ironically, these were the things I had given to the care of The Captain’s wife in another city. Due to several factors, they needed to be moved back to Daytona.

Several friends, with little notice, came to the rescue as I felt helpless being in the Canary Islands poised to leave for a 7 day passage to the Cape Verde Islands. But one thing I have learned, as difficult as it has been, is to let go and receive help.

Friend Jen lent her vehicle and her cousin Tanya spent over 10 hours driving to do the pick up and turn around. When I was planning my life change and this trip, my first choice for my animals were my local friends Rick and Diane who had cared for Turbo for over 10 years whenever I was away and used the same Vet for their animals. But because my friend begged and was so eager to have companionship, against several of my friends advice to leave them in Daytona, I fought to defend my decision to move them away.

But everything changed. Another lesson I am learning; don’t expect people to do what they say because things can change on their end. Be adaptable, be flexible.

I had not had ongoing information about the health and status of the animals for nearly 4 months and it was causing me pain and turmoil. I finally broke down one day along the coast of Spain. I was in hysterics over the cruelness I felt from no information. Yet, I continued to fight for leaving the animals where they were. I felt like taking them away would be punishment for the person who had wanted them. Little did I know, but was informed, it was causing that person stress, making them spend more money than expected leaving them resent me. Yet I fought for this person to be the one to make the decision to move them. After receiving an email stating only problems regarding the animals, how much trouble they were and how they had little time for this in there busy life, combined with several months of having The Captain’s opinion repeated to me of wanting the animals moved,  I couldn’t take it any longer. She had done her best to care for them but they had to be moved.

I learned another lesson; be more selfish when it comes to my emotions and stop fighting other people’s battles.

The decision was made and immediately I felt like a huge weight had been lifted.

Since then, Turbo has seen his regular vet and I've had regular reports.  This does not change that he is over 15 years old, is a bit senile and has lost control of bowels. I trust Rick and Diane since they have had to watch two of their dogs pass and a vet, who I adore, has cared for Turbo and the kitty advising me when I shouldn’t spend extra money on tests! (Rare for most money hungry vet “businesses” that play on people’s emotions and lack of knowledge about what should be done.) I also know that Rick has cared for and loved my dog as if it were his own for a very long time. Turbo’s “best friend” was their dog Boomer, and when they were young we would spend hours laughing at them playing. It was Boomer and Turbo who were tired together on a short leash and escaped from Rick’s home, only to be found and taken to the South Daytona jail. I was volunteering for an air show convention in Las Vegas when I got the voice mail message on my cell from a sergeant at the police station informing me that the dog’s were being held! Not the first fiasco that Turbo had pulled off when he was young, but a funny story to tell. Sadly, Boomer passed away since I have been on this trip.

When I asked Rick and Diane to spend some time considering taking him this month, I said in my email; “I fear I am sending you my dog only to watch him pass.” They didn’t even take the three days I had asked them to think about it and immediately wrote me back wanting to take Turbo. Later they requested Kitty also, since the animals have been together for 12 years. Still in the testing phase since they have a dominate cat of their own.

After their vet visit, I was asked, and signed the permission for the euphemism decision to be made in my behalf.

Totally NOT on the same level, I had to do the same for my mother who was on life support. But love is love, and the love I had for my mom and being the one person that had asked her what she wanted, I felt like conveying this to my sister and Dad was putting the decision on my shoulders. But I knew for sure she wanted to pass if she came to that point.

My love for Turbo, while different than my mother, is strong and real. I gave him permission to pass (see Post: 2/20/10) before I left. But passing on the responsibility of making the call is above and beyond the duty of any friend. I’m hoping he will make it clear to them…or, in my dreams, he could rally and be there when I return.

Turbo was such a good dog, always happy and always waiting for me to come home from work with his face in my French doors with Kitty under him staring into the door’s window. I owe him so much for all those years of unconditional love.

Regardless of what happens, my heart is finally at peace regarding my animals, something that while planning this year away, I never knew just how hard it would be on me to be away from them.