ArfAngels.net - Arf Angels and Other Heavenly Creatures

Luke Yeedle Sines
April 3, 2002 - September 22, 2004

This is the story of my fur angle, Luke. In his short precious life, he saw me through the worst days of my life. Luke passed away on September 22, 2004 at the age of 2. He had a seizure disorder. He frequently suffered from Grand Mal seizures; despite being under the care of our vet and taking medication daily. It just wasn't fair. He was far too sweet and beautiful to be ill.

I adopted Luke from a farm. He and his 11 siblings were living in a hay shed here in Mercer County, PA. His mom was a large black and white spotted beauty. She looked like a Dalmatian, but was not a full breed. She had been rescued from the streets of Washington D.C.; homeless and pregnant. Some lovely people adopted her and she gave birth to 11 sweet black puppies in a safe and loving environment. I was told that not long after giving birth, she was mercifully euthanized due to a bleeding disorder. I was sad to hear of this, but thankful that a loving family cared for her. I was concerned about her health and wondered if Luke would inherit health problems.

All of the puppies that Luke's mom gave birth to looked like black labs, but they had spotted chests like their mom. Luke had a spotted left back paw and the very tip of his tail was a wisp of white. He seemed to guard these two areas of his body; he didn't like anyone to touch the tip of his tail, or this spotted paw. Just to tease him, I would often take hold of his spotted paw and say, "I got your Paw!" He'd gently snap and me and then we'd have a wrestling match. Those were such fun days. I called him Yeedle, Old Yeedle, or Mr. Yee. I don't know why. I don't know how that name came to be; it just was. Luke was my Yeedle.

I adopted Luke because I was grieving over the loss of my beloved Maxy. Max was killed by a car. I thought my heart would never mend, but having Luke to care for helped. From the first day I adopted him until his last, he slept with me. He always snored softly. This was the sweetest, most soothing sound I'd ever heard. I miss it now that he's gone.

Luke loved hot laundry. Once when I was doing the laundry, he climbed into a basket of laundry that just came out of the dryer and fell asleep. From that day on, he'd wait patiently on laundry day for me to bring up the laundry baskets. As he got bigger, he could no longer fit into a basket, and this wasn't very sanitary either, so I'd do a load of old towels just for him. He'd wait for me to dump them onto him as they came out of the dryer and he'd nestle in the warm cloth for a nap. I loved to watch him do that. He seemed to not only love the heat, but the smell of the clean laundry too.

Not long after Luke's adoption, my life fell apart. My husband left our family. We were devastated. He then lost his job and went to jail, as a result of untreated alcoholism. We lost our home, as well as our pride and dignity. (I have 3 children, ages 16, 16, and 17.) The kids and I pulled together, moved to a new rental home in town and tried to start over.

It wasn't easy. We were all hurting and unsettled. There were problems that we needed to work out. Lots to think about; lots of changes to get used to. Having Luke here to comfort me, especially at night was a blessing. To deal with my tension and stress, I'd walk with Luke every day.

We'd walk for hours some days … at least 3-4 miles a day, but sometimes 3-4 hours a day. It just depended on what was going on. Luke kept me healthy, and I kept him healthy. We'd pray on our walks, relax in the grass, explore in the woods, and just enjoy each other. I'd always praise God for the moments of serenity we had together. Everyone would comment on how beautiful he was. We never had a walk where someone didn't stop us to ask about Luke and marvel at his beautiful face and shiny black fur and curious, spotted paw.

One night when Luke was just a year old he had a seizure. I was very frightened. I took him to the vet the next day and was told not to worry about it. He was fine, but then on Labor Day, 2003, he had one seizure after another. It was horrible.

I had to drive him to an emergency vet clinic an hour away in the pouring rain, because no one in town was open during the holiday weekend. When we arrived at the clinic, he was in critical condition. I didn't think he'd live. I begged the vet in charge to do everything to save his life. He assured me that he would. A few days later I got to take Luke back to our regular vet. He was still very ill and unconscious. We weren't sure if he'd make it. I spent all day with him in his cage. I spoke to him, sang to him, and napped with him, until I had to leave when the vet's office closed.

I visited everyday after work, and each day he began to get stronger. First, he stood up, but needed lots of help. The next day, he took a few wobbly steps and began to eat and drink. Finally, I was able to take him out for a walk. It was truly a miracle. I was so happy. He got stronger and stronger. After this, he lasted a year.

He continued to have seizures about every 6 weeks; we'd increase his medication. I'd often wonder if he should have been euthanized at times, but he'd recover and we'd enjoy our walks, cuddling, and companionship. Luke taught me to live one day at a time and to trust that God would let us know when it was time for us to part. Sadly, that day came last week.

Luke began to get sick again and became very weak. Despite my efforts to medicate and comfort him; he slipped into a coma. I took him to the vet who euthanized him in my arms. It was very difficult to let him go, but I knew that he had suffered enough in his short, beautiful life. I whispered softly to him to go to the Rainbow Bridge and wait for me there. I told him that Max and lots of his other pals and family would be there too. He drifted off peacefully.

Ironically, our favorite place to walk, here in Grove City was at the Rainbow Bridge on the campus of Grove City College. Luke would swim under the bridge and then we'd cross over it and walk the campus. The kids loved him. Many would stop and be so happy to see a dog on campus, because they missed their beloved fur babies who were at home.

Luke brought so much happiness to so many in his short life. He brought me peace, comfort, and joy. He helped me deal with my fears and heart break. Even though my heart is once again broken; I know that Luke is still here. He'd never leave me. His sweet warm body was too weak to do all the work that he wanted to do, so he let it go and remains here with me in spirit to see me though these tough times and to celebrate the joyous times that will be in our future.

We will never forget our Yeedle. How blessed we were to have him in our lives. We love you, Yee.

— Love, Mom, Matt, Jen, and Jeff Sines