SKEETER

SKEETER
“The Boat Dog”
12/12/1997-5/5/2008

BREED: RAT TERRIER
COLOR: WHITE/BLACK/BROWN
LITTER: THREE PUPS
BORN: DATE: DECEMBER 12, 1997
PASS FROM

THIS LIFE: MAY 5, 2008

MOTHER: SPOOK

OWNER: LONNIE YOUNCE
FATHER: SPOCK
OWNER: LONNIE YOUNCE

ORIGINAL HOME:
NAME: CAUDE GARDNER

PUT UP FOR ADOPTION: DATE: LAST WEEK IN APRIL 1998

ADOPTED: MAY 30, 1998
BY: CHARLES & JANENE WITT


STARTED OBEDIENT SCHOOL:
JUNE 8, 1998
SOUTH ALABAMA K-9
DAVID JONES

COMPLETION: JUNE 17, 1998

Skeeter was one of three out of the first litter his mother had. She killed one, with a girl and boy to survive. The Mother rejected the pups, and they were bottle fed by the owner until they were three weeks old. At that time Mrs. Gardner purchased the boy dog and named him Skeeter. He was weaned at the age of three weeks and taken home to the Gardner's. He proved to be too fiestie for her grand children, and she put him up for adoption with the veterinarian in Foley. Dr. Henson placed him in the Loxley clinic. Mrs Amy Middleton, and employee of the clinic took him home with her for a couple weeks, but with her number of pets already, he did not work out. David Jones, a trainer knowing that I wanted a rat terrier to replace a long lost buddy, Buster, contacted me and told me about about skeeter. On Saturday, May 30, 1998, at 2:00 p.m. and interview was scheduled for Skeeter to evaluate Janene and I. He upon seeing us for the first time played a little hard to get, but he knew he had a permanent home this time, and decided to go home with us. He some how knew he had a home he would be treated like royalty. After a very bad start to life, he knew he had it made.

Skeeter came from a long line of terriers of some 30 years coming from Louisiana. Lonnie Younce has kept a real tight blood line on the family and it was not his intent for the litter to be sold. Skeeter's heritage proved to be a very loyal, intelligent , and faithful blood line. Un-like most terrier dogs Skeeter was not a hunting dog, but in fact his main funtion in life was protecting his master.

About a week after finding his new home, Skeeter was enrolled into an obedient school for training. He spent two weeks with David Jones for training. When Skeeter came home, he went back for practice session two more times. Due to the nature of Mr. Jones attitude and training techniques, it was decided to not take Skeeter back to Jones. His training ended. From then on, he would live his adult days on the river in royalty. He loved to ride the wave runners, and boats. He practice safe boating by wearing his coast guard pfd.

During his life, he was a well travelled dog. He never missed a chance to go for rides. He travelled with us from the swamps of Louisiana to the southern most point of Key West and all points in between. He went with us every where. On a few occasions he had to stay behind, and we found a place in Loxley that had "Doggy condos" so he always had a nice place to stay. Although, he did not like to be separated for us, and would not eat or drink while we were away. So we got to a point that if Skeeter could not go, then we did not go. The R.V. was purchased so that Skeeter had a place to stay and could go with us at the same time. He has been to LA, GA, FL, TN, and MO just to name a few states he has seen. He was at home any place we were. He even lived in a number of places. from Styx River to Gulf Shores, to the Bon Secour river, the Foley. He was even getting used to the idea of moving up to the farm and I do believe was looking forward to that move. He never forgot where he had been before too. Whether it was the river home, the vets office, or the farm. When ever we would get to some place he knew, he would announce that we were there as soon as we approached the drive way.

Ne never missed a chance to go for rides. He dearly loved going riding on the boats. He could hear the boat lift going down and come from now where and be waiting on the boat to hit the water. And if the boat was sitting in the water and he could get on the boat, you would fine him just sitting on the boat waiting just in case some body was taking the boat out.

He only had one thing that he hated. He did not like being locked in a closed area. He hated it to have a kennel door locked. He would stay in his "house" when he needed to, but he did not want the door shut and locked. Same for a truck or car. He would sit and wait for you as long as it took, but he did not want the doors shut, but to keep him comfortable the A/C was left on all the time. He was never locked in a hot vehicle with out the motor running and A/C on.

Over the years he developed the desire to talk like people. He tried his best to talk. He did have select people he would talk to. He would not just talk to anyone. I never will forget the first person he talk to some one outside of Janene and I. Clarence Waller was staying with us after Ivan. We were doing clean up and one night he decided to talk to Clarence. Clarence could not believe it. At night he would lay on the bed and call Janene or I to come on to bed. He loved his "family time" on the bed at night before going to sleep. He would sit and talk to us. Then when it was time for lights out, he would always wait until the last light was out, then the T.V. off and in about five minutes when he knew we were about to go to sleep, he would ask to go outside to wee wee.

He had his favorite people too. He would get real happy to see his friends come to visit. He would show them his newest toys, play for a few minutes, then go lay down and be a nice dog. He never pestered them, but when they would get ready to leave, he would get real mad , want to fuss, and nip at their heels. As to say, "don't go." He never seem to like other dogs though. He would ignore them and would not associate with them. There was one dog that he did like. Norman Pierce would bring Bagger around and Skeeter liked him. Some times I would think he thought Bagger was a life toy. Speaking of toys, He loved any stuff toy that would squeak. He would drive Janene up the wall with his squeak toys. He developed a liking for blue Walmart bags. Some how he knew that every one came with a new stuffed toy. His favorite toy by the way was a Pelican. Some how he knew I had a thing for Pelicans. So he did too. His favorite treats came in those Walmart bags too. It was chicken strips and we would call them "Turkey Jerky" and of course he never turned down a "beggan strip".

He was amazing little guy. You had a hard time realizing he was a dog and not a little boy. People who did not like dogs and would tell you so even liked Skeeter. He would make friends with people easy. Just like many dogs, he knew a person's character and if he did not like a person, you could bet you did not want to be friends with them either.

Skeeter has now passed from this life. He died on May 5, 2008 a little after noon. He was 10 1/2 years old. Skeeter lived a full and good life. He was a devoted and extremely faithful little buddy. Skeeter did have a tuff time health wise. He had a growth removed from his right foot back on November 6, 1998. At that time he was neutered. The growth came back as Histiocytoma. Then in 2006 he developed cataracts. Dr. Campbell referred him to specialist from Jacksonville, FL. His first visit was in Pensacola, where it was determined that he needed cataract surgery. It was discussed whether to do both eyes or one. Dr. Brown influenced us to just do the right eye. So, on January 2, 2008 Skeeter under went surgery in Jacksonville, FL. The surgery was a complete success. It took several months for him to get back on his routine. He had to wear a funnel shape collar for the duration. He did without any complaining; but did not like wearing it. He had to continue on eye drops then the rest of his life. Now Skeeter was not one to take medicines easily. But some how knew that the eye drops did good, so he would stand and let you put them in with out a fuss.
We noticed that he was having arthritis problems in his joints during the year of 2007. Then during our trip to Key West in October, he got progressively worst. So in November, on our return we took him to Dr. Campbell for an x-ray. Dr. Campbell advised us that he had three bad vertebra and that he was loosing his use of his hind quarters. He said there was nothing we could do except makes him comfortable. He was started on cortisone tablets and shots. This made him much more comfortable for awhile. He would wake me up at 6:00 a.m. every morning to get his medicine. Then in April, it was time for his annual shots and check up. Dr. Campbell came in with bad news; Skeeter’s sugar was off the scale. So, he immediately put him on insulin. Again, Skeeter proved what a trooper he was. He would let me give him the shots with out fussing. We managed to get the sugar down, but not before Skeeter quite eating. He went from eating everything in sight, to not wanting any food. His last meal on his own was Danny’s fried chicken. He had to be hand feed from then own. He spent his last days resting with his buddy CW at home. He knew the end was near, and wanted me to hold him all the time. He would go to my desk after his medicine and sit under my desk a wait for me. He gave me all the love he could those days. Even though he felt so bad. Then it got to where he did not want to take his medicine, he wanted to sleep in, so he quite waking me up at 6:00. Then on the morning of May 5th, he had gotten up, and was sitting in the living room waiting for me to come out. He knew this was his last morning, I know now. I can still see him lying by the couch looking at the bedroom door. He came into the desk and lay there waiting for me to pick him up. He died later that morning at the office of Dr. Campbell in Robertsdale. Many thanks to Judy and Dr. Campbell for their compassion and help.
Skeeter is now laid to rest at the Sugar Farm by the barn. The end of the story, but the memories will last forever.