Goodbye, Foxy

Memorials-Barbara-and-Foxy.RETOUCHEDII-cc.jpg

After losing her dearly beloved dog Foxy, Penn Street resident Barbara Moore thanks her neighbors and remembers a one-of-a-kind companion.

 

To my East Falls neighbors, sister Vicky, neighbor Diana, and others who supported me through Foxy’s death:

I am lucky I had a chance to own such a loving and loyal rescue dog, one that was a joy to me and a source of comfort, especially when I lost my other great rescue, Peanutchew, in October of 2015. Foxy masked his own pain at the loss of his big brother, even as he helped me through my grief.

Foxy arrived in my life unexpectedly, as most blessings do, and only a short time after Peanut had become a part of my family. One morning I was walking Peanut in my neighborhood when I saw a little brown dog sitting on the corner of Penn and Vaux.  I asked the neighbors if they knew who the dog belonged to and no one seemed to know.

As I approached this cute little dog with the bushy tail, he took off. (Boy, could he run!)   He was determined, but so was I.  I tied Peanut to the rail of my steps, and asked a neighbor to keep an eye on him.  I then took off after this little dog — I chased him up Vaux, down Queen Lane, down Conrad, up Midvale, down Queen Lane again, and up the alley between Penn and Midvale until I had him cornered.

Foxy

At that time my neighbor Joe LoCastro from Midvale joined the chase – he ran and got a blanket and threw it over Foxy and carried him to my house.  When we got him inside, Foxy was shaking, I cuddled him, and gave him water and food.  I then put him in a doggy crate to ease his fears and to calm him down.

In the morning I set him free, at which time he gave himself a tour of the house and the look on his face said “not bad — it beats the street.”  I then tried to find out who he belonged to. I checked the newspapers, called the SPCA and other dog rescues and asked around the neighborhood trying to find his owner, to no avail.

Although a few people offered to take him, I said no, that the dog probably had been through so much already, which is why he probably ran away.  I knew then that Foxy had found his forever home.

At first I was going to name him T. J. Hooker, because I found him on a street corner, but a neighbor asked me not to do that to the dog. I named him Foxy, because he looked like a little fox. I even took him to the vet to make sure he wasn’t one.

In any event, I am saddened to say that my little Foxy recently went to doggy heaven to join his brother Peanutchew.  In Peanut’s dog-bituary, I stated that Foxy was a gift and that when Peanut died I had Foxy, who masked his pain for my sake.  I am sure he missed Peanut too, but he was strong for me.

Peanutchew

Now, I have to be strong on my own and remember what Foxy taught me about grieving with grace.  Also, to believe that Peanut will take care of his little brother in doggy heaven and not beat him up like he did on earth. 🙂

Fortunately, I have been surrounded by loving and caring people, first of all my sister Victoria Clark, who lives in Roxborough — she is always there for me.  I always know she is just a telephone call away, whether it is to pray with me or come be with me, no matter what the need may be.

The night before Peanutchew died, I called her and she was there for me the next morning at 5AM. She was, prepared and ready to do what had to be done in taking Peanut to his final resting place. The same was true when I called her at the crack of dawn when I had to take Foxy on his final trip.

Diana McDermott, my neighbor across the street, has also been a great help, dropping what she was doing, which coincidentally was delivering the East Falls Local.  She took me to pick up my sister Vicky, drove us to the veterinarian’s office, and waited for us as we said goodbye to my beloved Foxy.  This is true sisterhood and neighborly loyalty.  They never left my side and I will always be grateful to them both.

To all my neighbors on the 3400 block of Penn Street, which is such a dog-loving block, I thank you for all your support. Particularly for the book on doggy heaven, which I find very comforting and read almost daily, and the flowers, notes and cards.

For all my neighbors from the surrounding blocks, I will always be grateful to each and every one of you for your kindness and support during this time. I am truly touched by the many sympathy cards and other expressions of support. (Special thanks to Joe LoCastro, who delivered a framed picture of both Foxy and Peanut — which I have hanging on my door — and to my church guild for the card.) I have never experienced anything like this. Foxy really must have made an impression and that means a lot to me.

Peanut was a loving, mischievous and barky dog and Foxy was the quiet and loving dog, who snuggled in my neck whenever I picked him up and had such a mellow bark.  They both had their own loving uniqueness.  They say rescue dogs, are the most loyal, and Foxy proved that to be true.  Both of my dogs brought me such joy in their own unique ways.  I miss them both. and now I am all alone — but let’s see for how long.

With Love and Gratitude,

Barbara S. Moore

West Penn Street

UPDATE 4-19-17: 

‘THANK YOU, DR. DANA YARD OF WISSAHICKEN CREEK ANIMAL HOSPITALIn my Goodbye to Foxy, in the April edition, I failed to mention my gratitude to Dr.Dana Yard for her sensitivity and caring way in which she treated Foxy during his final hours.  I am beyond grateful — it has been a source of comfort to me that such a peaceful dog was treated in such a peaceful way at the end.   Thank you Dr. Yard.

Barbara S. Moore, West  Penn Street”

 

7 Comments

  1. Barbara asked me to post this: “Thank you so much for posting the “Good bye Foxy” tribute to Foxy. I know that bushy tail of his is going l00 miles a minute in heaven and he is given you a thumb`s up. Ii was a pleasure working with you on this project; and, I appreciate all the courtesies extended to me. I look forward to the paper printed edition in April.”

  2. I was so sorry to see the article about Foxy. He was the sweetest little pup. I know you loved him very much and miss him terribly. They bring so much joy to our lives and we miss them so much.

  3. One truly hasn’t lived until they know the depth of a dog’s love. You, obviously, knew and returned that love. Thank God for people like you.❤️

  4. What a beautiful tribute to your sweet boy. Thank you for giving him such a warm, loving home. Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot to me!

Leave a Reply to Brian Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.