r.i.p., sparty

by Scott Pohl

This is a follow-up to Zack’s post about Sparty’s condition. Sadly, I must report that she didn’t make it. After a night at the MSU Veterinary Center, her condition continued to deteriorate. Her prognosis was extremely poor, poor enough that it was actually a somewhat easy decision to have her euthanized.

At Christmas, almost 13 years ago, one of my gifts to Sherry was a simple card telling her that we could get a dog. I’d heard many times about the miniature schnauzer she’d had as a girl, named Gretel, and how much she’d meant to the Bass family. Sherry had a cat for a time after we got together, named Otter, and she’d given it to our friends John and Renee Gulliver after I’d gotten increasingly unhappy with having a cat in the house. It was with a combination of genuine interest in getting a dog, and guilt over having evicted Otter from the house, that I took this step.

I’d talked with friends of mine about what breeds to consider, hoping for a small dog that would be good around children, with little or no shedding. Miniature schnauzer was one of the breeds recommended to me.

We found a breeder named Deb Monroe, and decided to get a female from her next litter of puppies. She called us when Sparty was born, and she was so tiny I could hold her in the palm of one hand.

About six weeks later, she was weaned from her mother, and we picked her up. It was the weekend before Memorial Day, and we were headed to Houghton Lake with Zack. Quite an outing for a little puppy!

Sherry worked very hard to train Sparty, and their bond has been especially strong.

It’s always been nice to have her companionship, a true lapdog. It didn’t take much to get her to hop up onto the couch and snuggle. She eventually turned my recliner into HER chair; it became rare to kick her out of it to sit in it myself.

Like most pets, she could be exasperating at times. She’d lollygag outside when you wanted her to come in, and she actually wandered off and got lost a couple of times. We always got her back, though, which makes today especially tough.

Zack and I would play doggy tag outside with Sparty, and we’d laugh at her energy and her speed. She’d zigzag around us at full tilt. Being Detroit Lions fans, we called her “the Barry Sanders of dogs.”

The girls came later, so they’ve known Sparty all their lives. At this writing, they’re both at school and haven’t been told. I’m sure Morgan and Kyra will take this news hard. Many tears have already been shed here today, and there are many more to come.

I will always be grateful that Sherry acted on my gesture and proceeded to get Sparty, and for the many hours she spent training her. I will always be grateful that Zack, Morgan and Kyra were able to spend so much quality time with her. Lastly, I will forever be happy that this little dog…affectionately known by alternate nicknames like Pooper, Dogface, and yes, even Dumb-ass once in a while…brought so much love and happiness to my family.

This is a deeply sad day for all of us.

Rest In Peace, Bass-Pohl’s Sparty Girl!