The Story of "Droo"

In the divorce I got custody of Terra, my 8-year-old, 60-pound, blue-eyed, cinnamon-colored, Siberian Husky. She was the sweetest dog you’ve ever met. For 6 months she and I lived in Malibu, in a beach house on the sand, and life was good for Terra. We walked on the beach and relaxed on the balcony watching the waves and the dolphins and the sea lions and sea gulls and even a few whales. Terra was a healthy, happy, beautiful girl. Then we moved. Over the next year she had a run in with a skunk, jumped out of the truck and injured her knee, had an attack of flea infestation with a terrible allergic reaction, and almost went into a coma when the neighbors shot off fireworks into our yard. We moved again. And suddenly she was diabetic. Within a week, even with insulin injections, she lost all her strength. She collapsed in the yard and I had to call a friend to help me carry her up the stairs. The next day she couldn’t move at all and my daughter (Lindsey), came to help me carry her down the stairs and put her in the car to take her to the vet.  Lindsey went with me and I held my Terra in my lap, my 60-pound lapdog, the sweetest, most beautiful Siberian Husky there ever was, as she looked into my eyes and took her last breath.  

Lindsey took me out for a Margarita. Through tears she said to me “Mom, you need a puppy”. I told her I didn’t want to get a puppy.  She told me I needed to get a puppy. My daughter has always been my best friend and she knows me pretty well. She ordered me another Margarita. We cried, we drank Margaritas… maybe we ate something, I don’t remember. Then we got in her car to go home and she started driving toward Malibu. I didn’t live in Malibu anymore. She drove to the place where I got Buddy for her.  She said “Mom, we are getting you a puppy”. I was too weak to protest. We went in and looked around. They brought a puppy to me that was a crazy little wire-haired mix. She was adorable and we liked her, but…. I don’t know. Then they brought this tiny little blonde Cocker Spaniel to me. I took him and he put both paws on my cheeks and licked my face all over. He kissed away all my tears and started immediately healing my heart. Through tears streaming down her face Lindsey said “Mom, I think we just found your new baby”. There was no way he was letting go of me. I think he had been waiting for me for a long time. On the way home I had him snuggled on my lap in the car and we thought about names. Lindsey looked over and said “He looks so droopy” and we both said “that’s it!...... DROO!”

 

I didn’t notice at first the little patches of white on his shoulders. Droo had wings. He actually had 2 little white “wings” on his shoulders, and a heart-shaped nose.  My little Angel.  When his baby fur changed to his adult coat the wings disappeared.  About 6 months later we moved to Santa Paula. Droo had a big yard to run in. He ran laps around the outer perimeter of the yard creating a little race track. I was going to school and the neighbor told me one day that when I was gone Droo sat on the bottom step and howled the entire time.  So I left him in the house when I was gone, but that just made him more miserable. So I took him to school with me but that didn’t go over very well. He was not happy waiting for me in the truck or outside the classroom and not all the professors were fond of a dog in the classroom. I decided he needed a sister. I went to the animal shelter and found Cloe. The sweetest, cutest little Pekingese-mix ever! Cloe and I fell in love with each other instantly. And Droo hated her!  She had to break him down and it took a while, but he eventually loved her.  The 3 of us struggled through some hard times. There were times we lived on a loaf of bread and peanut butter for a week (yes, all 3 of us). And we didn’t have heat so when it got cold we all snuggled together in the bed with every blanket and even the towels on us. But we also went to the beach all the time and when I had gas money we drove! Droo has always been my copilot. He rides in the passenger seat and wears the seatbelt just like a human. He loves to go for drives.

We moved again and lived in an apartment. I was working 12-14 hours a day and Droo never peed in the house. He knew when it was time for me to be home and if I was late he let everyone know I was missing. When I got home and opened the door he shot down the stairs to the grass to relieve his bladder. But he never once had an accident inside. Poor Cloe couldn’t hold it near as long as Droo.  When I was having a bad flare and couldn’t get out of bed Droo layed with me and wouldn’t leave my side. He wouldn’t eat. My friends would come let them out for me and he would run down the stairs, pee, and run back up to be with me.

Over the years we have gone without food AND we have feasted on fresh lobster we found on the beach.  When the air conditioner quit on the hottest day of the year at the truckstop (120 degrees) we cooled off with the hose and layed on the tile floor. When we lived with Crazy Gina we were trapped in the bedroom all day, many days, with her Nazi dog lying right outside the door waiting to attack us. But whenever we could get out we went to the park or the beach. When we moved to the apartment in Reseda we had to go down the hall and down the stairs to go outside. I was on crutches and Droo would take himself down the stairs, wait patiently for me, do his business and go back up the stairs. A couple of times he got confused how many stairs to go up and went to the 3^rd floor but he just made friends with the neighbors and came back. It didn’t take long for everyone to know Droo. But that’s where he got bit for the first time. In the 3 months we lived there he was bit in the face 3 times by a nasty little dog.  Poor Droo was so good, just walking with me and this mean little thing just comes running out and bites him in the face! Droo was always on a leash! People who have nasty little dogs not on leashes are BAD!

Droo is 10-1/2 years old now. Through all the moves and all the craziness, good times and bad, Droo has been my copilot, my protector, my Angel boy.  He’s always loved beaches, parks and long drives, so driving across the country to live at a park on a lake is just about the best thing I could think of.  Even if he doesn’t get to sleep on the bed with me anymore.