A Dash Life Reflection: From a Rocky Start to Happiness

Recently I had to go through old records to purge paper, and it was very difficult for me to shred the medical records of Dash, Tyler and Cody who passed over the last 9 months. I did keep a few papers for each because it seemed to final. However, I looked back at Dash's adoption paperwork, and it made me realize just how cruel and, well, stupid people can be toward their dogs and cats. Today's blog explains that, and you'll see how Dash went from a neglected and abusive house of 10 years, to being 100% happy in our home (he passed January 19, 2026). Here's the story.

BEFORE I GET TO DASH'S ADOPTION... FIRST, THE STUPID FAMILY WHO HAD HIM FOR 10 YEARS. - When I was going through Dash's adoption paperwork, I realized how cruel, neglectful and uneducated the people who had Dash for his first 10 years truly are. 

FIRST, the mother and father had a 4 year old girl, who they LET pull Dash's tail so hard it hurt him, and he bit the girl (didn't break skin). How about training your awful children?

SECOND, the mother kicked little 8 pound Dash across the room (it was on another paper, not the one pictured here).  I wanted their addresss to kick her ass, but I didn't get it. Imagine kicking a little 8 pound dog because your stupid child hurt the dog. 

THIRD, they admitted Dash was never, ever housetrained, nor did he get any instructions or learn commands. 

FOURTH, They also wrote on the turn in form "he pees in the house." Well, NO F'NG KIDDING. (sorry, language). You don't train a dog, and then you expect them to know to pee outside?  Seriously? These Idiots never should have been allowed to adopt a dog. 

FIFTH, That family is obviously Uneducated, and it shows with all their mis-spellings, on the form they filled out to dump Dash into a kill shelter because of their own stupidity and cruelty.

1) "needed attition" (Attention)

2) "Chiauahua" (Chihuahua) 

3) "Long haied" (Long-haired)

4) "brake skin" (break skin)

5) "Banfeild" (Banfield)

6) "Childred" (children)

7) "attion" (attention) 

FINALLY- I FIRMLY BELIEVE STUPID PEOPLE should never be able to adopt pets, or have children. PERIOD. Dash Deserved much better for his first 10 years. 

THE BEST ENDING -  Fortunately, DASH lived 7 1/2 more years with us and he was happy every day. Dash became obedient, loving, and learned Agility. He barked like a "chicken" and danced for treats. He slept in the same bed with Tyler and they played and ate together and followed each other everywhere. 

(Photo: Xmas card from 2023: L to R: Dash, Tyler, Cody)

GOTCHA DAY - Soon after we rescued Dash from a kill shelter, on August 10, 2018, we made the call and adopted little 8 pound, 10 year old Dash.(it was within 3 weeks). It was Dash's "Gotcha Day."   (click sentence to read about the adoption post!) 

Our friend Shelley who volunteers with Yorkie 911 Rescue (and had for Dachshund Rescue of North America) called us 3 weeks beforeabout Dash and said that he was in the shelter for a month and his time was up unless a rescue took him. So,Shelley asked if we could foster him and we agreed. We weren't considering fostering or even adopting as we were busy with Dolly, Franklin and Tyler, but it was that or Dash's final fate. 

Over the years, Dash bonded closely with Tyler. They did everything together. When Tyler passed on July 29, 2025, Dash went into deep depression, and lost half his body weight.  Dash Passed on January 19, 2026 of acute kidney failure. The memorial blog I wrote can be found here: https://rob-tom-dolly-franklin.blogspot.com/2026/01/our-dash-passed-yesterday-what-happened.html

Our Dash Passed Yesterday / What Happened/ Remembering Him - Favorite photos

Our adorable, energetic little Dash passed quickly on Monday, January 19, 2026. For about 1 year we've known his kidneys were weakening, and he wore diapers since November 2025. He also developed cataracts, and over the last month one of them began rupturing. He seemed healthy enough for surgery to remove the eye (that had dead tissue in it), and it was scheduled for 2 days from now, January 22nd. Then the bottom fell out. Today's blog explains what happened and shares some memories. We are reeling from his passing, and find it hard to talk about it, so I'm putting it in writing. 

(One of our favorite pictures of Dash from years ago)

Adopted Dash in 2018

In July 2018, we took in a Foster dog named Dash and we fell in love with him. He was 10 years old and 8 pounds (born in 2008) when we were lucky enough to free him from a kill shelter and adopt him. Our friend Shelley of Dachshund Rescue of North America told us about that little senior Dachshund/Chihuahua mix and we freed him from the Anne Arundel Animal Control Center, Maryland, on July 21, 2018. He was there since June 10, and the shelter ran out of room... so he had to be fostered immediately.  We ADOPTED Dash on Aug. 10, 2018.

(In 2018, Franklin, Dolly, Tyler all welcomed Dash to the family)

About Dash

We nicknamed him "the Chicken" because when he was excited his bark sounded like a chicken clucking. Whenever would go out and come home, we could hear his "clucking" from inside whenever he heard the door opening. His best friend was Tyler. They did everything together. They ate, played, walked, slept together. 

(In 2023, Tyler, Dash and Cody loved going for rides for "Comic book day" and "Dunkin' Donuts lunches)

Dash's Rapid Decline - Tyler Passes 

Since July 29, 2025 when Tyler passed away, Dash grieved deeply. He lost 5 pounds, down from 11.5 pounds. Tyler was his best friend and Dash took it very hard. He followed Tyler everywhere as Dash was losing his sight and Tyler was his "eyes." He played when Tyler played, he walked next to or behind Tyler. He even did agility in the house with Tyler to lead him and guided him on the "find the treat" games. All that ended for Dash on July 29th, 2025 when Tyler passed. 

(Photo: January 2, 2026, Dash sleeping on Tyler's toys, as he's done since Tyler passed. You can see his ruptured eye)

His Rupturing Eye 

On January 7, 2026 Dash wasn't eating his wet food, or his morning fresh chicken. We went to the vet that night with him because his right eye was filling with blood. On January 15, we were finally able to get a canine opthlamologist appointment. The doctor said the eye needed to be removed, because it already had dead cells in the center. An anesthesiologist checked Dash's heart and lungs and they were good. Surgery was scheduled for January 22, and we were encouraged. We thought once the pain of the eye is gone, he would get back to eating and regain weight. We never foresaw what was coming. 

(Dash on the morning of January 19, 2026)

The Weekend Refusing to Eat

On January 16, 2026, part of his retina peeled off and was causing him discomfort, so we took him back to the Opthlamologist's hospital. The specialist was out until the next week. The ER doctor gave him liquid Gabapentin (not the highest dose), and gave us a prescription to take home. 

That night, Dash ate a full small jar of babyfood, and within 2 hours threw it all up. He refused to drink water or eat. *We think the Gabapentin exacerbated his failing kidneys. 

(Dash and Cody with us at the Vet's office on January 6, 2026, when Dash was still walking and eating baby food)

Over the weekend of January 17-18, no ER had an opthalmologist on duty. So Rob fed Dash with an dropper. Dash refused water and all food. He was fed water and broth. On Sunday, he was still walking around a little outside for a few minutes. But he wasn't able to pee. That told Rob that Dash's kidneys were failing quickly. 

(Photo: On the morning of Jan 19, 2026, Dash lay with Tom in a recliner for comfort.) 

The Morning Shock  

On the morning of January 19, Dash woke Rob up by coughing blood and dripping it out of his nose. Rob called the vet at 8am, and they confirmed what was happening. We wanted Dash to pass at home. Tom looked up kidney failure and learned that was a symptom of the very end stage of life. He had no strength. He couldn't move. 

(Photo: On the morning of Jan 19, 2026, Dash lay with Rob in a recliner for comfort.) 

Giving Him as Much Comfort as Possible

We brought his bed in one room where we stayed with him all morning, holding him. Telling him we are there. We then took him to our den where he fell asleep on each of us as we took turns holding him. His nose continued to bleed the entire time. Rob called the vet again after Dash threw up blood twice. We carried Dash, wrapped in his favorite blue blanket, lying in his favorite bed, into the vet's office. The doctor helped him pass out of pain. It was Brutal. 

Photos of happy times

Following are some of my very favorite pictures of Dash and his adventures over the last year. 

(Photo: Just this past December 2025, Dash enjoyed walking outside in the backyard looking for a patch of grass, walking around in circles even in the snow.)

(Photo: One of Rob's all time Favorite pictures of Dash from Thanksgiving 2025, when he was wearing a bow tie given to him from his uncle Jeff and cousin Myrtle). 

 

(Sept 15, 2025- Cody and Dash enjoyed their walks in the neighborhood.) 

(Sept 13, 2025- below -  Dash loved being driven around Home Depot while sitting in a carriage) 

(Photo:  Tom and I took Cody and Dash to York Beach in August 2025 to watch large waves crashing on shore from a distant hurricane - hundreds of miles away) 

(Photo: Cody and Dash posed for a picture on York Beach in August, 2025) 

Below- One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE pictures of Dash, with his happy, infectious smile. 

Dash: Caring for a Senior Dog In Long-term Hospice

For those of us pet parents to have a senior dog, we must become caregivers to them just as when they were puppies, or if you have human children, when they are infants. Today's blog is about the long-term hospice care I'm giving our dog Dash to keep him comfortable in his ailing senior years. He's got kidney failure, and we discovered a growth in his abdomen, and he's on a bunch of medications. He's still mobile and not in pain. The daily care may seem like a lot to some people, but not to me. He's our child whom I treasure every day. Here's the story.

(Photo: Dash almost always lays next to one of Tyler's toys to fall asleep)

On Tuesday, January 6, 2025, we took our 17 1/2 year old Dachshund/Chihuahua mix, Dash, to the vet, because blood was covering his right eye and he hasn't been eating much. Since his brother Tyler passed on July 29th, he's been grieving deeply, lost almost half of his weight, become 100% incontinent and has gone 95% blind. The vet checked his eye, and examined him and told us something else was going on so we're treasuring every day.

After a physical exam, our vet, Dr. Matt, found a growth in Dash's abdomen. He said it could be benign, but is likely making him feel full, thus, the much-reduced appetite. It brought back memories of July 25th when we discovered Tyler had a growth on a blood vessel to his abdomen.

(Photo: Dash, napping in his diaper on a fuzzy blanket on his bed)

I asked about cleaning the blood from Dash's eye, and the doctor said removing the coating may damage the retina underneath. Dash is blind in that eye anyway. But he needs rewetting drops 3 times a day. His other eye has a small growth on the eyelid, so also needs the eye drops to prevent irritation.

Fortunately, Dash is still mobile. He can still walk around, although sometimes unsteady on his back legs. He also has some dementia, so he tends to walk around in circles until I pick him up and put him in his bed, or carry him if outside.

Dash's Care Now - He wears a diaper 24/7 and is still really great about letting me know when he needs to go outside, even in the early mornings, like 3am or so.

Tummy issues - He's always had a sensitive stomach, and now he's on a daily dose of Metronidizole to prevent diarrhea, which is working! I've also had to change his probiotic from a chew to a capsule to break open and put into his mouth directly.

(Photo: Dash often walks around in circles outside, but he's still mobile).

He also takes a daily prescription of predisone for his chronic bronchitis and another to reduce the excessive protein in his urine, plus tracheal cough medicine.

Eating Habits Changed - He has refused to eat wet dog food about two weeks ago and stopped eating his daily morning fresh boiled chicken (we've been giving that to the kids for many years). He won't eat cooked hamburger, turkey burger, sliced turkey, sliced chicken, cheese, etc. I've tried everything. The vet suggested baby food, so that works. Because he has pressure on his stomach, I learned he can't eat a full small jar (he threw up), so I'm feeding him 1/3 of a small jar over the course of a day.

Every night at 7:30pm we do "3 treat time" and the dogs get three different treats. He no longer has much interest in those treats, either, so get gets baby food.

So, there's a lot going on to keep him comfortable, but he isn't in pain. That's what's the most important thing to me.

My Thoughts - If you aren't willing to care for your dog like you'd care for an elderly parent, than you should think twice about adopting a dog. These kids need the best care.

Be sure to tell your dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, etc. how much you love them every day.

Dash's Respiratory Distress Hospitalization- He's okay now

Dash is our 17 year old Dachshund/Chihuahua mix who followed Tyler (our Dachshund who passed on July 29, 2025) everywhere. Dash has been under tremendous stress trying to figure out life without Tyler, and he's been prone to bronchitis and asthma issues. On Thursday, August 14th the stress finally took a toll on him and he was gasping for breath, so I called our vet's emergency line and they said to rush him to the Vet Emergency Room.That's today's blog.

RESPIRATORY DISTRESS - Dash went into respiratory distress on August 14th around 5:30p. He was bonded to Tyler who passed just 2 weeks before and I understood that was the catalyst of his labored breathing. Dash had been showing signs of depression by not eating and had become increasingly stressed out without Tyler to follow around the house. He wouldn't eat his dinner and then he started breathing heavily. He pulled his stomach in with deep gasping breaths, and I could tell he was struggling. I called the local vet who said to get him to an ER quickly, so I did. 

 VIDEO OF HIS LABORED BREATHING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tthUk7nYdSs

A NIGHT IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM -     I  drove Dash to the Veterinary Emergency Critical Care in Newington, NH.  The doctor on staff the evening of August 14th was wonderful. Dash, was still very much in respiratory distress. Xrays were taken at 2 different times, and bronchitis with poss. pneumonia was the diagnosis. I also think he has asthma, because he sounds like me when I have an asthma attack. 

I waited for the radiologist to provide an xray report. The in-house doctor looks at it and they also email it a radiologist on call who reviews it. During that time (it was 5 hours), the doctor explained about the likelihood of what was going on, and his plan for medications, and recommended keeping Dash overnight in oxygen to help his breathing. 

OVERNIGHT AND OXYGEN -  Dash stayed overnight on oxygen and he received prednisone and antibiotics through IV.  Dash received great care overnight, and his breathing returned to near normal the next morning when we picked him up at 10 a.m.

I'm so grateful the the doctor and staff of the hospital. It was the right thing to do to rush him to the ER.  His new meds are working, and he's finally eating his meals and treats again. He's also showing energy and went on a walk on day two.

If you see your dog breathing heavily and their stomach goes in and out your dog is in respiratory distress and needs to go to an ER immediately.