Morgan
We adopted Morgan from the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS) in the summer of 1995. My husband and I had just returned from our honeymoon, and we were eager to bring a dog into our lives. When I went into the OHS I became quite distressed about having to choose a dog, but when I went to see Morgan he hooked my arm through the cage, and started licking it frantically. He was full of life and love. He was a 4-month old black lab cross whose previous family had brought him to the OHS since he was “too big.” For us, he was perfect.
On my way home from the OHS I knew that Morgan would be a handful. After he jumped in the car he had grabbed the bag of dog food the OHS had given me, and started shaking it. Dog food went everywhere. This was a good sign of what was to come.
Roughly two weeks into Morgan’s arrival he began to get sick. The news was not good. Morgan had contracted distemper. The Vet said that it was likely that he was exposed to the disease at the OHS. Essentially we would know within a day or so what his fate would be. We left the clinic not knowing if we would ever see Morgan again. Miraculously, Morgan recovered.
Our time spent with Morgan was priceless, from long walks in the country side to watching TV on the couch together. Morgan loved to go into the forest. He loved to sniff the different scents. My husband has countless memories of him and Morgan going on extended walks or cross country skiing in remote areas around our home. It is difficult to describe the look of total contentment and bliss he would have on his face whenever they had the chance to go together. He loved adventure. And he especially loved it with us. Morgan also “proved his metal” on countless occasions as a vigilant guard dog for the home.
As the years progressed, we had two children. Morgan was just over 2 years old when the first arrived. We were a little concerned about how Morgan would react with the newest addition to the household. After all, he had the rule of the roost for more than 2 years and someone new was arriving.
I recall the first day that we brought Sophia home from the hospital. Being new parents, we didn’t really know what to do, but, since she was sleeping, we left her in the car seat on the floor in her room, and then both went to the kitchen…. After a few minutes we noticed that Morgan wasn’t in the living room, so we rushed to Sophia’s room. And there they both were – Sophia awake in her car seat and Morgan diligently licking the top of her head as if to clean her up. It was an amazing sight to see. Sophia showed no fear and Morgan was treating her as if she was one of his own. Morgan’s reaction was identical with our second child Anna’s arrival a few years later. **Morgan treated our children as if they were his own and not once did he ever show any signs of aggression towards them. Both our children benefited greatly from Morgan’s presence and companionship. His tolerance and love towards them was endless. Until very recently, our girls never knew life without him. He was a staple in their affairs. All plans and events had an element of Morgan factored into them. Nothing was undertaken or done without considering the ramifications on Morgan. He was fully integrated into every aspect of our lives; as we were in his.
As the children grew older we began calling Morgan by a few nicknames like “Bubaloo” or, “Troubaloo”. The “Troubaloo” version was reflective of the mischievous part of his behavior – especially when it came to food. Morgan had a reputation within the family as a very adept food thief. Anything, and I mean anything, that was even remotely edible was fair game for Morgan to steal and eat. Raw chicken, fish food, bird food, gingerbread houses, and boxes of liquor filled chocolates, to name a few. Typically all that we found would be the ripped apart packages that the items were in. I once caught him very gently pulling a green bean from my plate as we sat at the dinner table! Anytime we left him in the house alone we needed to “Morganize” which was code for putting all edible substances out of reach.
Although Morgan was 14, his passing came unexpectedly. He was a senior dog but he was in quite good condition, and still enjoyed the family routine. At the age of 12 he had tore his right cruciate ligament in his back leg. At that time, surgery was an option and he recovered reasonably well. At the age of 14 he tore the same ligament in his left back leg, making him unable to walk on his own. We were informed that surgery was not an option since the recovery period would be too long and Morgan had been struggling with mobility as things were. Recovery without surgery did not look promising at his age either. So we said goodbye to Morgan on May 21st of this year, just short of 14 years from when we brought him home that beautiful summer day.
Our home has fundamentally changed, and we all feel the ever-present void and emptiness that now seems to permeate our everyday lives. We miss him terribly. Morgan was a joy to have and no words can properly convey all the times where Morgan provided us with happiness, warmth and comfort. He would do anything for us, without hesitation. We loved him dearly and he loved us unconditionally as well. Although we are very sad, we also realize that we were so lucky to have had him and he was pretty lucky to have found us too. I think in the end he did get the family he deserved.
After Morgan’s passing our family was deeply in grief and struggling to cope. I wanted to do something in Morgan’s memory and something connected with the OHS, as we knew that if it were not for them Morgan would have never had a second chance at life, and we were very grateful for the role they played in bringing us together. I knew the OHS was planning on building a new facility as my older daughter had been pouring over the article in the newsletter a few weeks before Morgan’s passing. When I went online and saw the naming opportunities, I knew that this would be a perfect way to commemorate him. I was very excited to be able to have dog run named after him, reminding me of the first time that we were brought together. I also wanted something good to come from his passing, something that would help other dogs the way he had been helped. I was especially thrilled that the new facility would help prevent the spread of disease, which had almost claimed Morgan’s life as a pup. We are thankful to have the opportunity to recognize Morgan’s memory by having his name permanently associated with the new OHS building.
In memory of our dear dog Morgan,
Isabella Steffensen
Michael Grimes
Sophia Grimes
Anna Grimes
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