Inglath Cooper

Nate

We let our Nate go today.

We’re not sure how old he was, just that he’s been with us some seven or eight years.

Nate came into our lives when a friend of mine who had been going to the Franklin County Animal Shelter to take pictures of the dogs and cats there, told us about a big, black dog who had been brought in by animal control. He had been hit by a car, apparently, and had injuries that went untreated during his entire hold time.

On his release date, we went to pull him from the shelter through the Franklin County Humane Society. But on this morning, Nate had reached the end of his ability to go on in the pain he must have been in, and he would not get up. Volunteers carried him to the car.

We took him to the Rocky Mount Pet Clinic where Dr. Eric Lorens found that Nate’s left front leg was broken in several places. Dr. Lorens determined that Nate’s injury had gone so long without treatment that there was little hope of saving his leg. Not only was he in pain, he was malnourished. His teeth were worn and broken in places, often seen, we were told, in dogs who are fed on the ground for most of their lives.

We did opt to remove Nate’s leg, and as it was healing, he had to learn to walk again. Dr. Lorens and his wonderful staff cared for Nate, not like a dog from the county shelter that no one wanted, but with tenderness and kindness.

And Nate surpassed everyone’s expectations for recovery. He had his will to live back, and he flourished, every rub, every treat, every hug accepted with a grateful wag of his tail.

I brought him to our house to foster, and it didn’t take long to realize that he was meant to be with us. He was an absolute joy to watch with my young daughters. They loved on him and hugged on him, and he soaked it in like sunshine he had been long deprived of.

Nate

Nate loved everyone, and everyone loved him. He became a model for our business advertising, and was featured in national magazines, making the Uttermost Company known for its love of dogs and support of rescue. He prompted my determination to somehow find a way to make a difference for other dogs in our county like him. Nate is the reason my husband and I became involved in the building of the Franklin County Humane Society Adoption Center.

Less than a year ago, Nate developed lymphoma. We opted for treatment because he was otherwise so healthy. He improved, his lymph nodes returned to normal, and he had some good months of being his old self again. Not too long ago, the cancer returned. We tried a second, less powerful medication that appeared to help for a bit. He had good days and bad days.

I’ve been waiting for Nate to let me know when he’d had enough. When the battle was too hard to keep fighting. He let me know this morning. He didn’t want to get up or eat. My daughter and I helped him outside, but he was too weak to stand and lay down on the ground.

The two of us carried him back inside and put him on his favorite red pillow. Harley, his best buddy, came to sit beside him. During the many vet visits throughout Nate’s illness, Harley has cried for Nate until he came back home. Mournful wails that I might not have believed had I not heard them time and again. There has been a special bond between these two that made me dread Nate’s loss even more. I sat with them both this morning and explained to Harley that Nate might be leaving us soon. But the truth is, I think Harley already knew.

This afternoon, my husband, four daughters and I were with Nate as he took his last breath. As much as it hurt, I’m so grateful for the time we had with him. Grateful, too, that his life did not end on a concrete kennel floor, never having known what it means to be truly loved.

Because he was. Truly. Loved.

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Inglath Cooper

I love books! From my earliest memories, I loved being read to and then reading practically every book in my elementary school library. There’s something about taking a little trip into a wonderful story that is its own unique pleasure. Over the years, my favorite authors have provided me with glimpses into worlds I would never have known had I not picked up their books. From Beverley Cleary to Lavyrle Spencer to Jodi Piccoult to Anita Shreve and so many others, I am grateful they chose to become storytellers. A great story has the power to move, change and shape its readers. To me, that’s an honorable calling and a task I aspire to.

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