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Norm's Story---From Rescue to Service Dog
May 28, 2010
Name: Norman
Type: Memorial (for the deceased)
To Honor: Pet(s)
Location: , United States
Today I had to put my best friend and companion Norm down; he was 14 yrs old and I guess a misfit from the start. 
 
A person bred a black lab to sell the puppies, when they were born the litter had 11 pups, but 2 were not Lab they looked like German Shepard's, the neighbor beside these people had a pedigree German Shepard.
 
The humans decided the 2 Shepard's were "not sellable" and did nothing to care for them, no shots no worming and even moved the 2 "misfits" from the mamas tit till all the sellable pups were full.  I rescued Norm and 4 days after I got him he developed maternal parvo because the humans removing him from the breast milk stopped him for getting protection from his mother. 
 
I was faced with a decision and because of life's circumstance I was very poor that that point and could not immediately pay a large bill, the vet said he would accept 10$ a month because I was such a good customer for 30 years and he knew I would pay the bill.  After a week in hospital my little buddy came home very sick but alive and on the road to recovery.  That started a 14 year companionship of love.
 
Over the next few years I was given a diagnosis for a condition that has no cure, I was going to loose the use of my hands, arms and legs I would end up as I am today in braces with artificial joints and bones.  Before this happened Norm was trained as an assistance/service dog by trainers from K-9 cops, Military and myself, he was a quick learner.
 
Norm was so good at what he did when I started having deep muscle breakdown from my illness Norm was trained to sniff out the area before it became a serious problem, I have had 9 surgeries on my legs or feet totally because a dog sniffed, sat and alerted something was wrong.  The first time the orthopedic surgeon said he was very uncomfortable doing deep muscle surgery based on a dogs opinion, but with my instance he did the first exploratory surgery and Norm was right. 
 
Fact is Norm was always right.
 
For the next 14 years as I got worse and was often recovering from surgery Norm was my hands and helper.  He could get the phone, open the door, pick-up bandages and put them in the trash, pick up my medicine bottles; but the most important thing he did was give me life.
 
I write this for all to read because we often forget what an animal can do for a human and what a human can do for an animal, I saved Norm from Parvo and he saved me back.
 
There are no words to express my grief and loss.  
 
I think what Norm disserved was life, but what he would want all to know is he had a very good life, he had a job and as much love as any person and dog can share and a friend who when it came down to it put Norm above all else.
 
Remember Norm when you think about getting an animal, you never know what the little sickly rescued pup will turn out to be. 
 
Give them love and share your life and in the end there will be much pain and sadness, but there is also the story, like Norms story full of richness and life because of a simple act of rescue.
 
If you choose please note this story, just for Norm and all those alone humans and animals whose life can be so changed when they are just put together.
 
I Love you Norm, I always will.
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Posted: May 28, 2010 12:16pm

 
 
 
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Author

Bill C.
male, age 61, single
Southern Pines, NC, USA
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