Domino
(Published February, 2005)

This space was intended to be used for a different story from what now appears here. But on January 25, our editorial plans changed. The story was to be about our "Burguess 5" … the five dachshunds from 2 Dogs Long Dachshunds that we have among the staff here at Dachshund Delights. It was to be about my recent trip to visit Becky & Bill Burguess and their wonderful wiener ranch, and about how it's always tempting for me to bring home another "Burguess doxie".

But sadly, very sadly, we must use this space in memory of one of the "Burguess 5." Domino, our latest addition just a year ago, escaped from our fenced in area on the evening of January 25. No one knew he had wriggled through the bottom of one of the gates. With the snow, ice, and cold temperatures, the bottom of the gate had not closed completely shut. It was open just enough for a precocious wiener to squeeze through.

For whatever reason possessed him (other than his hound nose), he traversed the length of our 700+ foot driveway and onto the road. Whoever hit him did not bother to stop to find out where he belonged (I found him right across the road from our driveway) even though he had an ID tag.

It's been rather quiet here in the shop as we all struggle with the sadness. Domino was a sweet boy full of love and kisses. His playfulness entertained us: he could play for hours with squeak toys and he would "talk" to them as he methodically disemboweled them.

He was a fiend for treats. A quicker draw on dropped food would be a hard thing to find. There was no tossing a treat to the other dogs with Domino in the room. He could launch himself from several feet away and snatch the morsel out of thin air, leaving the would-be recipient wondering how his disappeared from sight and smell.

He was with us far too short of time. He is buried next to our beloved Stubby, wrapped in a DreamSack with several of his favorite squeakies tucked in with him. And, of course, a couple treats.

Becky informed me later that on the day of Domino's passing, a new litter of piebalds was born. The litter of four contained three red piebalds – and one black & tan piebald. A boy. A boy whose daddy is the same as Domino's.

One life ends … a new one begins.