Epic Road Trip, Part 2: Pre-Trip Worries Continue

Continuing with my pre-trip diary entries, I decided to combine two entries into this week's post.

My journaling dated August 20th and August 26th were both short, and we want to get to

talking about the trip itself, don't we?!

Before you start reading this, be sure to check back later this week for my BIG

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Substack so you don't miss a thing!

If you missed last week's post, you can see it here.

The following was written shortly before we departed on our Epic Road Trip!

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August 20, 2025

We have changed the trip about seven times. This is the beauty of having nothing booked in

advance. We can change our minds.

There are a number of reasons we changed the trip. For starters, I was afraid of the possibility of

encountering bears at Yellowstone. With two dogs, it could be an issue. We will have SO much

food for a month-long trip. I did buy bear-proof containers but still we are going to have a lot more

than will fit in those, between our food and the dogs’ food.

Secondly, it’s going to be cold and apparently it already IS, in August! I belong to a camping group

online and one of the group members posted that she left Yellowstone two days earlier than

planned because it was too cold. Oy!!

We will go to Yellowstone on a future adventure.

This week, we did a couple activities to prep the dogs for the trip; and we also did a mock packing of the car as well. I’m including pictures here.

We set up the tent in our backyard and we also put our two cots inside. We invited the dogs in, and we all hung out inside the tent for the afternoon. I forgot to take photos! But I had taken photos the first time we set up the tent, right after we bought it, so here are those pictures.

A couple days later, we were washing the boat and cars, and I put the dogs on long leashes (about 30-feet each, estimated) so they could again spend time with us. This is what they’ll be doing at campsites, so I wanted them to get used to being on the long tie-outs. We will never, ever leave them unattended so no trolling, please!

We packed the car and took pictures so we could remember exactly where we put various items. The food (our cooler and a milk crate with dry goods) will be right by the sliding door of the minivan. The only time the food won’t be right at the opening of that door is when we drop off the

cat at the kitty hotel on our morning of departure. We’ll push the cooler and milk crate inside the car, and put the cat’s crate and food right in front of the door so we can get him out quickly. 

Back to packing the car. We left a “path” down the middle of the minivan so that Charlie, Petey and perhaps a human, can walk back there if needed. Otherwise, Charlie is confined to a little square area where his dog bed will be located. It’s not ideal so I would like him to be able to stretch his legs. Petey loves to sit with me so he won’t mind not stretching his legs once in a while. Small dogs are easy travelers in that respect. 

The dog food and other items are under the floor in a cubby hole Brad built when he added the plywood floor. It has hinges on it and can hold quite a lot of stuff.  We purchased our dog food ahead of time (a month’s worth) after hearing warnings that we may not be able to find our brand/flavor throughout the country. The reason this can be an issue is that you should never switch a dog’s food quickly. Any time you want to switch to a different brand or whatever, you should always gradually introduce the new food and phase out the old. Just FYI.

August 26, 2025

Here we are, one week before departure. It’s hard to believe.

We have been talking about this trip “cross-country” ever since Cooper died in March of 2024! Not that Cooper dying propelled us into doing this, but it is a LOT easier with two dogs instead of three. Plus, poor Coop was disabled (but don’t tell him that!). 

Cooper, always with us.

As mentioned previously, we have changed the route a zillion times now. As it stands today, the plan is to cover the southwest, excluding California but only because we have both been there a bunch of times (Brad even lived there). So, we don’t need California this time. However, that could change!

Currently, the plan is to travel south, then west. The first day, we’ll get past Atlanta. We will stay overnight in Alabama at a pet-friendly hotel that I have already booked. After that, we’ll head through Memphis, Tennessee. Then on to Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, culminating in a stop at the Grand Canyon for a few days. After that we may head up to Utah to Zion and Bryce Canyon, then back home. The entire trip should take about a month.

Next Week: Departure!

Don't forget to check back here, or on my social media pages, for a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT later this week.

Epic Road Trip, Part 1: Pre-Trip Worries

Following is the first entry in my Traveling Dog Lady "diary" for our cross-country trip that just ended a few days ago. I began making journal entries about a month before the trip began. So, I will be posting here weekly as you travel along with us on our Epic Road Trip.

A few notes before the journal journey begins: We had allotted for a full 30 days, but we ended up completing the trip in only 20 days. 

We "flew by the seat of our pants" in terms of booking reservations as we did not want to be on a set schedule, having to rush somewhere or whatnot. We were lucky to be able to secure reservations everywhere we wanted with only a day's notice, sometimes less. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this in summer, but it certainly worked out for us in September.  

We departed on the trip September 4th, a couple days after Labor Day. I wrote the first journal entry in August, in anticipation of the trip. Here goes!

August 10, 2025

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina- Home Base

We are about to embark on our first cross-country trip together.

This is the trip I dreamed of many years ago when I started TravelingDogLady.com. It is finally, finally happening. But I'm not gonna lie, I am nervous. I envisioned it a little differently than the trip Brad and I have planned. I’m taking a leap and trying to stay open to other ideas other than what I had seen in my mind’s eye for the last two or so decades. We will be doing a combination of tent camping, van life, and pet-friendly hotels and Airbnbs. Not the RV I had imagined we would be driving.  That may come later, IF we like this trip.

Let’s not forget that we and the dogs are all seniors. So, it’s entirely possible we may get too many aches and pains, be too uncomfortable or cranky to do this again. But for now, we are taking a month off and heading west with Charlie and Petey.

The dogs, and all our gear in the minivan.

You see, I have been to the western U.S. many times, by airplane. I've been all over Europe. But I've never seen the United States by road, and have never crossed the Mississippi or the Missouri rivers by road – only by air. I've never seen the Grand Canyon except for flying over it. 

When I was a kid, my family did road trips to and from Illinois twice a year. We were from Illinois but we lived in Massachusetts. That's as far west as I have ever gone by automobile. So, I’m excited to finally do this.

When I first started TravelingDogLady, it was because of a dream to finally see my own country on road trips with my dogs. The dogs I had at the time, Hobie and Hector, wouldn’t be the ones.  It turns out it wouldn’t even be Charlie and Cooper, the two I had elected second! Instead, it’s Charlie and Petey!  Hey, at least I got it half right.  And Petey may be Hobie reincarnated… so there’s that.

Charlie and Petey sitting together in a hotel room.

The initial plan is to book nothing in advance, something that, as a former tour operator, is pretty foreign to me! Brad is very adventurous. I’m more of a planner. AND, I got spoiled working in the travel industry because I used to get all fancy accommodations. This will be more like roughing it, and low-budget hotels with the dogs in tow. As well as flying by the seat of our pants in terms of where we’ll be staying each night,

I did manage to convince him that we should book a hotel for the first night. About three weeks before the trip, I used BringFido.com and booked one night in a pet-friendly hotel in Alabama. I based that location on about a 6 or 7-hour driving day for our first day, and we also wanted to get west of Atlanta before stopping for the night. 

The plan is to drop off our cat, Tux, at our local pet resort early that morning, having packed the car the night before. Tux will be staying at the resort for an entire month. He being 16 years old, it worries me a little. I’ve never left a pet for that long in my entire life. This is all new to me. My entire reason for never being away from home longer than, say, two weeks, was my pets. In this instance, only one pet is staying behind, and he loves being at the resort. He would get more attention there than if we kept him at our house with a drop-in sitter. I think he would be very sad if he was all alone at home. As it is, he often walks around yowling, looking for me, seeking attention.  The resort staff plays with him and they have toys (something he doesn’t get at home because the dogs would steal them).  

Tux at the pet resort

Both dogs have traveled by car extensively with me, but this will be our first time staying overnight with two people and both dogs. I used to do this all solo, with sometimes up to three dogs. So, this will sure be different. My hope is that, with a man included, they won’t give me the absolute worst room in the hotel. We have done many trips up and down the east coast with the two of us and Petey. No problems at all with pet-friendly hotels with a little dog. But having just one small dog is very different than having one big dog, or one of each. 

September 4th can’t come fast enough as I'm interested to see how the first night turns out.

To help find places to stay while on the road, I downloaded several apps onto my phone. The KOA Campgrounds app, because most KOA Campgrounds are dog-friendly.  HotelTonight app was recommended by a friend. You can find hotels available “tonight” in the city where you're located. BringFido which I mentioned above, and RoadTrippers where I planned out our proposed trip.

I spent the last few months mapping out the trip on my Roadtrippers account. I was able to do several versions. I recommend this program because you can see a map of the whole country, and it gives you places to stop such as museums and other attractions, plus you can look up hotels, restaurants and even rest areas and truck stops. You can modify your trip as many times as you want, and can choose different dates and stops along the way. They provide turn-by-turn directions, but it's a little difficult to find this feature and I have to hunt for it every time I want to see the directions. That's probably one of the only negative features of the program I can think of. (I do NOT get compensated* by Roadtrippers, BringFido, or anyone else mentioned in this post, by the way).

*At this time, I have suspended all my arrangements with affiliates. I am not getting compensated for any products or services mentioned.

Next up! Epic Road Trip Pre-Trip Musings continue!

 Check back here every Monday, and on Substack!

Happy #NationalDogDay

Happy National Dog Day to all my dog-loving readers and followers! #HappyNationalDogDay

Hobie and Charlie holding paws

Charlie, Petey (and Cooper on the floor)

Petey, Charlie and Cooper

Hector and Newman

Got dogs? Did you know that the “dog days of summer” refer to the Dog Star, Sirius, which is present in the northern hemisphere during the months of July and August? Well, it’s true! The astrological alignment is said to create thunderstorms and heat , resulting in the miserable days of summer in our part of the galaxy. Right here in South Carolina, I’m happy to say that we are getting a much-needed break from the heat this week. It almost feels like fall out there — almost. But the humidity broke and we’ll take it, as SC can be one of the most humid places in the southern U.S.

Last month in my MailChimp newsletter, I wished a Happy GotchaDay to my cat, Tux! Well, this week, he is the featured kitty on Substack’s “MeowStack”. Look for the MeowStack post August 27th. For now, here's the most recent photo of Tux.

The one, the only, Tuxie-Doodle!

More news! If you follow me on Substack (and if you don’t, why not?), you may have seen my post earlier this summer asking readers if they’d like to see my memoir about my “heart dog”, Hobie (he’s the dog wearing the glasses in my TravelingDogLady logo). The feedback was very encouraging, and I have almost finished the book which I started writing eleven years ago in 2014. It isn’t available yet, but should be by the end of October just in time for the howl-idays. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s available on Amazon (there will be a Kindle version). For now, here’s a teaser: a mock-up of the cover. Stay tuned!

Dear Hobie coming soon!

Road Trip! New traveling with dogs posts -- coming up this fall!

A word about pets in need: Shelters around the United States are bursting at the seams with surrendered animals. If you can find it in your heart, and if you have the time and money, adopt a shelter dog or cat. If you already have pets, remember it’s a commitment for their lives. You have them for a short time, relatively speaking. They only have you. Adopt, foster, volunteer or donate. No gesture to assist the shelters is too small.

Until next time

 Thanks for reading and following

Ode to Charlie Brown (my dog -- not the cartoon character)

Ode to Charlie Brown My dog, that is — not the cartoon character Charlie Brown is 13 1/2. He’s been with me since he was 10 weeks old. Yesterday, he had a bad day. Tummy troubles. A few weeks ago, after a routine blood test, his pancreas number was slightly elevated. But his predecessor, Hobie, had very bad pancreatitis so I know what to look for, and Charlie is not experiencing those symptoms. Let’s just say, I had to shampoo the carpet in my office last night after I was out for a few hours. Charlie’s better today, but not 100%. I’d say 97%. I’m staying home. Keeping an eye on him. Right now, he’s lying at my feet just beside my desk as I type this. He never does that. So, I know he’s getting clingy, and I’ve had enough experience with elderly dogs to know that this is usually how they get when they start to decline. Charlie Brown’s twin brother, Cooper, passed away a year and a half ago. For those readers who don’t know, I had adopted them both as puppies. Yeah, I’m that crazy dog lady who raised litter mates (the naysayers aren’t right — it was one of the BEST experiences of my life!). It is possible Charlie is the “last man standing” of his litter. Even though they were mixed-up mutts, I stayed in touch with most of the adopters of this litter of eight hound pups. We used to celebrate their birthdays together, because they were born on 11-11-11 (November 11, 2011) which happened to be Veterans Day and a lot of us would have the day off from work. One-by-one, we lost touch or I’d hear that one of the dogs passed away. Most recently, I couldn’t find contact info for the owners of one of the last remaining siblings. Therefore, I do not know if the dog is still living. She had been sick right around the same time as Cooper, but she recovered. Yesterday when I was out, I saw a young puppy. I estimate the dog must have been about four or five months old. The paws were huge, the movements awkward, the pleasing (hey, it was a Lab!) on overdrive. I said to my husband, “Charlie used to be that age.” And then I started thinking… I’ve known Charlie Brown his entire life. What a wonderful gift to spend 13 1/2 years (so far!) with this kooky, misunderstood, car-and-squirrel-chasing, lovable hound dog. I also started thinking about the people who had the young Labrador Retriever… that, if they are so lucky, some day THEY will be going through this anticipatory grief and series of remembrances. Some day they will say “Wow, how lucky we are that we’ve had this dog this many years. We’ve known this dog its whole life.” Then the tears came. Husband asked what was wrong, so I told him what I just told you. I sat crying for a few minutes before we carried on, and eventually returned home to Charlie and his companions Petey and Tux. That’s when I found my office floor soiled. Not a problem. I dragged out the trusty Bissell SpotLifter (I do not get affiliate dough or points for mentioning them — believe me, I have applied to be a Bissell Affiliate but nope! didn’t qualify). There’s no way I’d get mad at Charlie, or any pet, for accidentally soiling in the house. I’ve never punished a pet for doing that. That’s old school stuff our parents and grandparents did. I really just wanted to get these thoughts down on paper. Share them with you. In other news, I am currently working on a book of letters to my previous dog, Hobie, so stay tuned for that. It will be available within the next year or so.  I am thinking the follow-up might be letters to Charlie Brown (my dog, not the cartoon character). Thanks for reading! Until next time!

Bathroom break tips when traveling solo with dogs

Petey

Charlie Brown

The late, great Cooper

I have traveled with dogs quite a lot. I mostly traveled with three dogs to and from my cottage on Cape Cod. But before that, I used to travel (many, many years ago) with one dog and I would leave her in the car with windows open if I needed to stop for a bathroom break. I would not do that today. Times have changed. 

Most recently, I traveled up and down the east coast with my three dogs, and now I'm down to two after Cooper passed away. 

I wanted to write up some suggestions for traveling with dogs, as I have been seeing that the subject keeps coming up in various travel or travel-with-pets groups.

One thing people always ask about are bathroom breaks for the human, and what is proper protocol. The best thing, obviously, is to have a human traveling companion, and each human takes turns using the restroom while the other one stays with the dog(s). But what about the solo traveler (such as me, before I met my current husband)?? It's tricky. And times have changed over the last decade or so, making it even more tricky for the solo dog loving traveler. Not to mention, I've always had more than one dog, so traveling alone with TWO or THREE dogs is quite challenging! But I've done it, and if I can do it anyone can.

The first thing I always suggest is find a pet-friendly place that has a bathroom. One of my go-to solutions is a pet supplies store like Petco or PetSmart. You most likely would have to take an exit off the highway, and likely drive a few miles to find the nearest store, but once you do they have a restroom and you can bring your dog into the store AND the restroom without even having to ask. This is the ultimate best solution I have come up with. 

Stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, Michael's, Ace Hardware and a few others may also allow dogs, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone with multiple dogs inside one of those stores, so do your homework first before assuming you could bring three dogs into your next Home Depot!

The next best idea is a rest area with exterior restrooms that don't necessarily have any signage about dogs. In other words, they're sort of "silent" on the topic of whether or not your dog is welcome. These are kind of hard to find, but I do remember, when I used to go to Cape Cod to check on my cottage in the winter, I could always find a rest area that had these exterior restrooms.

Third, park in a shaded area (such as under a covered section of a gas station & convenience store where the gas pumps are). Pump some gas first (purchasing something always helps, and you'll be on camera, most likely). Leave your windows open about 3 inches -- just enough to get air in the vehicle, but not enough to fit a person's hand. If you have a sun roof or moon roof, open that up a little too. In my personal opinion...DON'T leave your car running with the a/c on! Some will disagree with me on that. You do you, but I wouldn't do it. Dash quickly into the restroom inside the convenience store, use the restroom, wash your hands, and come back to the car. Do this as quickly as you can and do not dawdle or buy anything in the store. I did this for many years, but nowadays people are apt to try to break your windows, steal your pet, or report you to the police. So, it might be a good idea to have a sign that says "Human in bathroom, they'll be right back, we are safe and loved!" Or something like that. 

As for pet-friendly hotels, oh boy do I have some stories!! Be assertive, especially if you're a female traveling alone with one or more large dog(s). The hotel may be pet friendly, but they will try to put you in the WORST room. I know, because it has happened to me more than once. Explain that your dog is clean, well-behaved, housebroken, doesn't chew, etc. and that you are alone and need to be safe. I have horror stories of filthy rooms crawling with flies and roaches, broken toilets (one of the main reasons I would stay overnight rather than continuing to my destination!), and "crack house" type hotels teeming with unsavory humans. I've been put in the worst, filthiest rooms, on the ground level of a hotel, simply because I had a large dog. Be sure you stand up for yourself and don't be afraid to take your business elsewhere if you have to!

I've traveled with my small dog, Petey, several times -- quite a lot of those times during the pandemic when there wasn't much to do. We went camping, and also stayed at hotels. He's always welcome. They definitely treat smaller dogs differently than big ones, and they definitely treat couples better than single female travelers. How unfortunate.

I have lots of other "traveling with dogs" tips, but I've gone on long enough!! Hopefully you can find some of this usable! lol

Take care, and happy travels!

Kathy Mandell

Meow!

Our first "Triday" without Cooper

 It's been almost a year since Cooper passed away. It went by so fast. We moved, we sold the house where he passed away in the living room, leaving his spirit and Newman's behind as we go on to our next adventure. 

Cooper's brother, Charlie Brown, is aging, but still full of life. We took him on an excursion yesterday to one of those shelter charity events where they have bands playing and lots of food and dogs. He did ok, but it took a lot out of him and I noticed he was very stiff this morning. He slept almost too soundly. He is now 13 -- almost 13 1/2! How did this happen? Charlie, my little puppy who bugged Hobie relentlessly when Hobie was 13 himself. Now it's been ten years since Hobie passed, and a year since Cooper did.

Today is "Triday" (3/3). It's the day when parents of three-legged pets celebrate their amazing dogs and cats who live life on three legs. I always participated in this through the Tripawds organization, a group I have supported for many years because they offer a wealth of information on how to care for three-legged pets, also known affectionately as "Tripawds".

I looked at my calendar today and said to myself, "Oh look! It's Triday!" and then I realized, he's not here for the first Triday ever. Last year, we celebrated Triday with him, and he was practically normal. Sure, he was slowing down, but never in a million years did I think he would be gone just three weeks later.

For all the tripawd parents out there, know that your pet can live a pretty good life on three legs, with just a few adjustments and taking special care not to let them overdo it!

Here's a photo of Cooper from the good ol' days, doing what he loved best.... R.I.D.E. 

Why "traveling" dog lady when you rarely travel?

 I suppose you may be wondering why this blog is named Traveling Dog Lady, when I rarely write about travel. 

Originally, I had big dreams of traveling the U.S. in an RV with my dogs. I've tried to do that several times, but it never materializes.

But really, the name itself was sort of tongue-in-cheek. You see, I had worked in the group travel industry in an administrative role since the mid-1980s. The administrative role meant that I didn't get to travel much at all. I was "holding down the fort" at headquarters while my colleagues and our clients traveled on tours that we had organized for them over a several-month planning period that spanned sometimes up to a year or even two, depending on the size of the group and the length of the trip. 

After running the computers and then taking over the billing department at the company where I worked, I started "bitching" to upper management about how I and my "girls" (as I called them at the time) did all the work, but reaped none of the travel-related benefits. We'd silently watch as our colleagues in the sales department and the travel operations department got two or three trips a year to Europe and elsewhere, while we languished in the office.

True, most of the women who worked in my department were young moms and it wasn't easy for them to pack up and travel without their kids and spouses as the mostly-single sales employees did. However, we spent most summers sitting in an empty office, playing crossword puzzles or computer solitaire just waiting for the phone to ring. We cleaned the office corner-to-corner. We had cookouts in the back parking lot. We watched TV. Meanwhile, everyone else got a trip in the summer.

So, I started to bitch. I showed them life through our eyeglasses. Slowly, little by little, I wore them down, until I scored and was able to get myself and one other person from my department onto a trip. Thereafter, we took turns. We didn't draw straws or anything like that, we just sort of said "Who would like to go this year?" and someone would say they wanted to go, and we made it happen. I and my assistant manager would take turns going along as the lead person for our department. 

The years went by and it became the norm for EVERY department in the company to send one or two people on one or two trips a year. This took decades to accomplish, by the way. It didn't happen overnight. We were treated as though we were invisible. It's not that anyone thought we didn't deserve the perk. It was, I think, innocently assumed that we were too busy with our families, and that since we didn't sell the trips and didn't need to see the operation "on the ground" as someone in the travel department needed to, then there was no need to send us on a company trip.

But as upper management always said, "Everyone who works here is a sales person first and foremost, and always." Or words to that effect. My girls were the ones that the customers talked to most frequently, too. They were the ones who put out the fires. Who got screamed at when something went wrong. Who rarely ever got thanked when things went right. They were the ones who got the extra work when a member of upper management (a group that I dubbed The Boyz Club) came up with a new way of doing things, a new idea, a new thing to implement. We were the ones who got saddled with the work. My question to the Boyz became, "Who's gonna DO it!?" whenever they'd come up with one of their elaborate ideas, generally formulated during a three-hour, mostly liquid lunch. 

So, that's where the "traveling" part of my name came from. It comes from my career background, rather than an actual travel-with-dogs platform. As much as I wanted to do a travel-with-dogs website (and sometimes still do) it just never transpired. 

Instead, what's happened is mostly a pet memorial site because I've had so many pets, and of course the inevitable happens -- they die. I became a certified Pet Loss Grief Specialist. Not a counselor because you have to have a psych degree or an LICSW for that. But I did take the classes from two different schools, and I did get the certificates. Still, I didn't pursue this as a career, mostly because I am retired now. 

I started out getting interested in pet loss grief due to my own experiences in losing many pets, sure, but also because for some strange reason (and this still happens -- it just happened the other day) I have always been the first person one of my friends or family calls when they've lost a beloved pet. This has happened ever since I can remember. So, I see it as somewhat of a calling or a purpose. But I don't want to go all-in on it as a career move or anything. It's like the person who turns their hobby into a career. It usually doesn't turn out that great. What once was being done for the sheer naturalness of it, then becomes something with an income attached to it -- an expectation. I didn't want that. So, my phone still rings when someone close to me loses a pet, and I listen, and I try to say something helpful, and I say lots of prayers.

So, this site isn't really about traveling anymore. Nor was it, ever, in fact. A post here and there, but that's about all. 

RIP Cooper the three-legged wonder dog

I started to write this blog post shortly after Cooper died. He's been gone two months today. I wrote most of this a few days after he passed, but I wasn't able to think clearly and I kept looking at it and trying again. Editing and updating. I think it's actually better than I thought it was, at that time. 

Here we are 60 days after Cooper left us, and still sometimes shocked that he's not sitting right there at my feet, or on the couch, or waiting in the hallway, or sitting by the door waiting to go for his R.I.D.E. I miss him terribly. I still have a dog bed next to the bed ready and waiting for him. No one else sleeps on it. I imagine in the middle of the night that he's still there, that I have to step over him if I get up to use the bathroom. But he's not there. But I say "hi" to him every night, nevertheless. It's nice to put my feet down on that dog bed, instead of the hard floor, and it's nice to think of him when I do.

This is what I started to write back in April, right after he died:

For his entire 12 years, such a short lifespan, people asked me one question... and I couldn't answer it, and still can't. "How did Cooper lose his leg?" It's a question that has haunted me ever since they day I met him, when he still HAD four legs, one badly broken and needing amputation.

I even have copies of his veterinary records from before the surgery. I have x-rays of his busted leg. I have photos and video of him dragging his useless leg around, yet still smiling and happily hopping around as he played with his twin brother, Charlie Brown, who sits nearby as I write this.

One thing I don't know is the story of how Cooper broke his leg. I always speculated that it was an accident. I always stuck up for his original owners, who re-named him "Fluff" because they had another dog named "Peanut Butter" (anyone who grew up in New England knows about peanut butter and "Fluff" sandwiches, which are not a thing anywhere else, or so I'm told. Fluff is the brand-name of a marshmallow spread that was a big hit as a partner to peanut butter on bread when we were kids. An alternative to jelly or jam.).

When Fluff was returned to his foster home with a broken leg, his name was quickly returned to its original: Cooper -- named for mini-Cooper, the car, and because he was the runt of the litter.

Was that all it was? Was he the runt, and therefore his bones were more fragile? And he just broke a leg incidentally and it wasn't a big deal? I suppose I'll never know, and it will remain a mystery.

But in all those years, I'll tell you some things about this dog, this amazing three-legged dog. First of all, nothing bothered Cooper. You could do anything to this dog (except pick him up!) and he didn't mind. Cut his nails? Sure. Bath? Meh, but ok, go ahead. Brush, groom, pet, cuddle. Touch his ears, teeth, nose, feet. He didn't mind. Unlike ALL my other dogs who wouldn't let you do any of those things. Cooper was the most easy-going dog. He was, just simply, a dog.

He also was Hector reincarnated. I truly believe this, and now I've just lost about half of my readers! But seriously, Cooper and Hector had so many personality traits that were not just similar but uncannily identical, there is no doubt in my mind that Hector, whose very short life was only nine years, came back to me as Cooper. In order to come back, he had to be only three-quarters of a dog, physically anyway. But both Hector and Cooper's hearts were so big, I think they needed an extended life on Earth, and this was God's only way of doing it... Hector had nine years (he died four days before his tenth birthday, so let's say ten years); and Cooper had twelve. That's twenty-two years! I had the love of this amazing soul, the HectorCooper soul, for twenty-two wonderful years! How lucky am I? Both dogs met a similar set of circumstances in death, dying extremely quickly and unexpectedly at home, with no time for us humans to even take action to save them. 

Hector

Cooper

People tell me all the time that Cooper was lucky to have found me. Someone once told me that when they die, they want to come back as one of my pets! LOL I am flattered, but really, I'm the lucky one to have found him, and all my other pets. They have defined me. I'm the dog lady. I'm the crazy cat lady. It's in my DNA. It's me. I am the lucky one.

I adopted Cooper when he was 7 months old, after he had broken his leg at 5 months, and (I was told) his original adoptive family could not afford medical treatment so he was kept confined with no exercise mainly in a crate for two months. When this went on long enough, he was eventually returned to the rescue agency (which, by the way, is what an adopter is supposed to do if they can't keep a pet -- return it to the rescue agency or shelter from whence it came). 

I digress.

The rescue had put out word that Cooper had been returned to his foster home and would any of us who had adopted from the same litter (I had adopted Charlie Brown when the litter mates were 10 weeks old) want a brother? I immediately started sending out emails asking anyone and everyone I could think of if they wanted to adopt Charlie's brother, Cooper. You wouldn't believe how many people replied to me, "Well, YOU should adopt him." or, "He's YOURS, can't you see that?" 

You guessed it. I adopted him. 

I met Cooper when he still had four legs. I brought Charlie Brown back to the foster home for an afternoon, and the two played and romped around together, despite Cooper dragging his leg around. The two of them had been the last two puppies adopted from the litter, and so it was a wonderful and happy reunion for them. I could tell right away that they needed each other. That they had missed each other a lot those last few months. It was great seeing them together. I made the decision then and there to adopt Cooper. The same way I had made the decision, in the same place, to adopt Charlie a few months earlier.

The day I met Cooper^

But first, Cooper had to have the surgery, and he was owned by the rescue agency, so while I did contribute financially to his medical care, I had no say in what would happen to him medically or otherwise. The agency decided (along with several veterinarians) that amputation was the best solution. The break was in such a position that, the only surgical solution would be experimental. It had never been done before, and as one vet succinctly put it: "I would not put my OWN dog through experimental surgery. It may not work, and then we'd have to amputate anyway!"

So, in the summer of 2012, Cooper's right front leg was removed. As his tentative adopter (I had already signed the papers) I was kept advised of every step of his surgery and recovery. I was even allowed to look at video-cam footage of him at the vet's office during recovery in his crate. He stayed overnight one night, maybe two. Then he was sent home to his foster parents for full recovery. 

His first night back at their home, he summarily and unceremoniously jumped up onto the human bed! He wasn't supposed to even be able to attempt this, nor was he allowed to, but if you knew Cooper (I didn't then) he would not be deterred. And from that moment, until the minute he died three weeks ago, he was able to jump up onto a human bed and would not take no for an answer.

Hobie, Charlie & Cooper on Cooper's first day at our home

After Cooper had the stitches out, he was able to come home to my place where I had five other animals: Three cats Cali, Tux and Newman; and two dogs, Hobie and Charlie Brown. Cooper arrived at the house one summer afternoon and literally was like the glue that held the household together. He made everything click into place. He especially fell head over heels in love with Hobie, a friendship that would only last a few years as Hobie died at age 15 in 2015.

Cooper & Hobie

    

But over the years we did have together with the three dogs, Cooper, Charlie and Hobie, we had some great trips to Cape Cod as a pack, we had lots of cuddles and fun at home, and it was just a pure joy to have all three of them -- and my three cats -- during that brief time. It was such a larger-than-life timeframe that I sometimes forget it was only three years that the three of them were together. It seems so much longer in my memory, because it was the most important feature of my life at the time.

Charlie and Cooper were my only two dogs for a while after Hobie passed away, until Petey joined our pack in 2017. Cooper and Petey became best friends, in much the same way as Cooper and Hobie were. Petey also has some of the same traits as Hobie, and again I often wonder if he's Hobie come back to me. 

Cooper & Hobie

Cooper & Petey

The three dogs and three cats moved to South Carolina with me in 2018, and then moved AGAIN to a different town in SC when I got married in 2020 during Covid. Later that year, I lost my job of 30+ years, and sold my first SC house which was a very difficult decision. Through it all, those three dogs and cats were there with me as anchors to my excited but upended life. But one-by-one, three of them left us, and now we have just two dogs and one cat.

Cooper goin' for a R.I.D.E.

Cali died in 2021. Newman died last year. Cooper died three weeks ago. I am still reeling from his absence. Cooper was a huge presence in our house. His life ended abruptly and with no clues that he was even close to dying. Sure, he was slowing down, but he was 12 years old and handicapped, so that wasn't a sure sign of impending death. 

Cooper & Newman

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Cooper & Cali

Sometimes, however, I think it's a blessing that he went so fast. He already had a hard life, hopping around on one front leg all the time. He made more than the best of it. He was an inspiration. He never, ever wanted help and I think checking out so quickly was connected to his desire to do things his way with no assistance. He would refuse to be picked up, and like I said he could jump up onto a bed, or furniture, or into and out of the car better than his twin brother who has all four legs! He was just a remarkable creature, and everyone loved and adored Cooper.

Twinz! Cooper & Charlie Brown

Cooper was like "the drunk uncle" who lives with you. He was loud, and obnoxious. He snored (we thought it was Charlie doing all the snoring, but come to find out, it was Cooper). The house is SO quiet now. You can hear a pin drop at night, whereas just his mere presence in the home took up space and energy like nothing I've ever seen in my life. Cooper would bark at the TV whenever an animal or a child appeared on screen. Even if it was a cartoon. Commercials were particularly bark-producing because of the fast moving snippets of video that seemed to dash across the screen. We believe he saw the TV screen as a big window and maybe he thought all of that was happening outside our house! Who knows, all I know is he was LOUD, and it was impossible to watch any shows that included dogs, cats, horses, bears or even sharks. And now that the drunk uncle is gone, we miss him. Sure, he was loud and obnoxious and un-well, but he was our drunk uncle, and he made us laugh and now he has made us cry.

I haven't gotten rid of any of Cooper's belongings yet and probably won't. Except for one. His favorite bed. I had this thing for YEARS. I think it went to three houses with me, definitely two. I had tried to wash it in the machine so many times it was just a plush bag filled with lumps. But he loved that damn bed. Maybe because he also was a plush bag filled with lumps! I couldn't flatten out that bed, and I could barely keep it clean, but he loved it. He slept on it every night, right by my side on the floor next to the bed. I couldn't imagine either of the other dogs would want to sleep on it, so I decided to bring it to the dump the next time I went. I placed it outside on the front porch for about a week, simply because we had no plans to go to the dump for that long. Cooper had died elsewhere in the house, so the bed had nothing to do with his death, it was just old and lumpy and stupid to keep. Every time we went for our daily walk after I put that bed on the porch, Charlie would sniff it for a few minutes, halting on his way up or down the steps to grab the scent of his brother. The day I brought it to the dump, I went by myself. Thankfully, hardly anyone was there, as I walked to the Bulk Waste receptacle to toss it in, I hugged the stinky fur-covered bed to my heart and started to cry. I felt stupid, but so what? I whispered goodbye to Cooper and threw the bed over the top of the high dumpster, and returned to my car. I sobbed the whole way home. In my car, that Cooper loved to ride in.

Cooper's rides in my Subaru Forester were his favorite thing. I've had that car ever since Hobie and Hector, so all five of my most recent dogs have "lived" in that car with me. We had so many adventures. During Covid, one thing I did was take Cooper for long rides, just the two of us. Before I met my husband, the three dogs, Cooper, Petey and Charlie and I would hop in the car on Sundays, and strangely enough we would drive from our home in the southern part of the Myrtle Beach area to the town I live in now!! We had no way of knowing we would ever live here! But maybe we did on some subconscious level. I still have the car. I took Cooper for one last ride about a month ago. I noticed he had trouble getting in and out of the car, and on one day he didn't even want to go! His favorite thing! I should have taken that as a sign that something was wrong. 

I took Charlie and Petey for a ride in that car this week. The same route I would take Cooper during those Covid days and beyond. It wasn't the same. Cooper would just lay back (he was so laid back!) and sleep, and he enjoyed the rides so much. Charlie and Petey barked most of the time and didn't quiet down until we were a half hour away!

One thing about Cooper's death that I've noticed is that I don't feel AS guilty as I did with almost every other pet who has passed before he did. There was always something I did wrong that I shouldn't have done. Something I could have done that I didn't do. Something I did too much of (medication, mainly) that I should have stopped doing. Things I should have noticed but didn't. I can say that level of guilt is not there this time. It's a different type of grieving without so much guilt. Oh, there's a little, but not as much as the all-consuming guilt I have had with almost every one of my previous pets. There's a calm regarding the guilt portion of the program. But his absence is glaring and shocking, and the house is so quiet and different without Cooper. At times, it takes my breath away. Other times, I smile if I happen to see a picture of him, or if I see the cat, Tux, lying in Cooper's seat of the couch (Tux has taken over Cooper's seat on the couch!!). If I see a butterfly, or a cardinal. I know that's Cooper saying hello. 

Tux, sitting in Cooper's seat!

Life with Cooper was beautiful. I am so fortunate that I adopted him. He was a wonderful creature, "just" a dog, but a very special dog. I will never, ever forget him.

RIP Cooper

11/11/2011 - 3/29/2024