Riley Dugan was not an easy dog to love. He was a beautiful but damaged soul who had anxiety and food aggression and a major problem with resource guarding. He was also extremely aggressive towards most other dogs and many people–even our son! But he loved both of his dog companions fiercely (first Dixie Louise then Dempsey Tate), was an excellent watchdog and skilled destroyer of toys, and adored his mama (me!).
Riley had degenerative myelopathy and beginning in early 2021 he lost the use of first one back leg, then the other, and was starting to lose control of a front leg. We adapted our home and schedule to accommodate his disability as best we could, but knowing soon he wouldn’t be able to move at all, we didn’t want him to endure any more, so we helped him cross over Rainbow Bridge. I miss his beautiful brown eyes and soft, silky fur. And Dempsey was so grief-stricken he chewed a bald spot on his tail, stopped eating, and lost his zest for life. It’s been hard but we gave Riley the best life we could for as long as we could and he will always be in our hearts. We look forward to seeing him again one day.