Remembering Walter
This past weekend,
we had to say goodbye to Walter.
After almost a decade with us, our 11- (or 12) year-old boy's life came to a beautiful and peaceful end.
Walter, or Lil’ Walter Harvey Koch, to be exact, was our first dog. Back in 2015, after BK and I first moved in together, we started talking about potentially getting a dog. BK was skeptical at first. He worked 12-hour shifts, 3-4 days a week, and I traveled almost weekly for modeling. Nevertheless, we scanned the adoption pages. When we saw Walter on the Buffalo CARES website, we immediately fell in love with his big, goofy smile and kind eyes.
BK said, “If I am going to get a dog, it’s going to be *this* dog”.
I had all the information I needed, I inquired about Walter and unbeknownst to BK, he was on his way up from his rescue puppy home in North Carolina.
The Buffalo CARES team scheduled a visit to our home with Walter. He was just as beautiful as expected, but a handful. He wasn’t house-trained or really ever lived inside, for that matter. We decided against getting Walter. Our schedules were still not conducive to giving him the love and care he needed at the time.
As luck would have it, he was placed with an incredible foster dad who trained him and gave him his first loving, stable home.
As the weeks went on, we almost daily checked to see if Walter was still available. We both had the gut feeling that he was the one and would have surely been disappointed had he not became our dog. Eventually, BK’s work schedule changed to a more traditional schedule and in late January 2016, we scheduled another visit for Walter.
From that moment on, he was our dog. Thankfully, he was now house-trained and fully adjusted to the sweet life of soft blankets, sleeping on the bed, and being doted on daily.
the first picture we ever saw of Walter
Our first night as a family of three
Walter as a puppy with his mom
We initially thought getting a dog would make us more active, maybe start hiking, but instead, we got Walter. He loved nothing more than to lounge in the sun with us during the summer months or snuggle up under a blanket or in front of the fireplace in the winter. He was the perfect fit.
His bark was loud and serious, especially when he heard the treat jar opening. His puppy dog eyes could melt your heart when he looked at you like Eeyore anytime he was anxious or there was a thunderstorm approaching.
He was with us through it all, well, except when we traveled. Then, he was lovingly cared for by BK’s parents. He was their first grand baby, as we say today.
Our engagement. Our wedding. A move. A baby. All of the ups and down life had to offer. He was a part of it all.
Oh yeah, and a baby.
That baby’s first words were “Walter” (months, and I mean MONTHS before saying “mama”).
When Conrad came along, we didn’t know what to expect. Walter, who, while already well adjusted to our niece’s, was still used to being the baby at home. I think he was a bit confused at first, but he gladly embraced his big brother role. Even more so when Conrad started eating whole food, never missing anything he dropped. Walter, always steady and patient, wasn’t phased by the new chaos. He tolerated all of Conrad's snuggles, wet kisses, and occasionally being used as a pillow. When he had had enough, he would let you know by quietly excusing himself to his bed upstairs.
Last August, Walter had a case of doggy bronchitis that landed him in the overnight ER. It broke our hearts when they took him in, and he looked back at us with those eyes. As he always did, though, he made it through.
Nevertheless, we continued to focus on being proactive about his health. He was an older dog and has had a handful of surgeries and procedures in the past. When we took him in for a routine check-up this past January, our vet noticed that his belly looked slightly distended. Our initial thought was that it may have been from the half dozen beef lung treats he demanded every morning. However, after running some tests, we got the unfortunate news that Walter had liver cancer and a large tumor growing in his abdomen.
After talking with our vet and given Walters' age and the low success rate for surgery, we opted to treat it with medication and keep him as comfortable as possible, for as long as possible.
Ignorantly, we both silently felt like he would make it through it; he always did, at the same time fully acknowledging the long and beautiful life we have had with him.
In March, during a check-up, the vet confirmed that the tumor was still growing aggressively. 1-3 months. It was hard to process. There wasn’t anything else we could do, except take him home and love on him as much as we could.
Walter continued to be himself, however slowly he started to lose speed. In the past week, it became evident that the tumor wouldn’t stop growing in size. Already quite large, and fearful of rupture, we made the dreaded call to Lap of Love. Although we were a fan of our vet, Walter was not. We thought the best way to spend his final moments would be at home with us by his side.
When we called Lap of Love, they mentioned they had a Thursday time slot available. The only problem was that Thursday was looking cloudy with overcast skies. Walter deserved one more day to lie in the sun. We opted for Saturday, a mild day with lots of sun. We laid a blanket in the grass and smothered him with hugs, kisses, and treats until it was time. BK put on some music, No Shoes Radio, a station we always listened to while the two of us and Walter wasted days away poolside in the summer. It was no surprise that as Walter began to fade away, a cover of “You Are My Sunshine” began to play.
Walter was our sunshine.
There will not be a sunny day that goes by without us thinking of him. Whether we are lying poolside or in the grass during the summer or lying in that beam of sun shining through the window on a cold winter's day, it will always be a gentle reminder of the happiness Walter brought into our lives.
It was a heartbreakingly beautiful, a perfect end to a perfect story. In the end, he was more than just *our* dog. We got to share him with my community, and we appreciate all the love and support throughout the years, anytime Walter made a cameo or was the star of the show. He brought joy to our home, and we hope yours also.
If you were touched by Walter’s story,
We are asking that if you are considering becoming a pet parent, we encourage you to “Don’t Shop, Adopt”. Walter’s life is proof of the love and joy a rescue dog can bring into your world. We found him through Petfinder, which connects you with adoptable pets from over 14,000 shelters and rescues nationwide. One search changed our lives.
Furthermore, if you are compelled to do so, we would like to support the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter via donations in Walter’s honor. Our friend Kelly is a volunteer there and has shared with us the overwhelming need for support, given their limited resources and high volume of animals in need.
A special thank you to the team at Southtowns Animal Hospital for the years of compassionate care, kindness, and love you showed Walter. We’re so grateful for the way you treated him like your own.
Thank you for loving our little watermelon-loving potato as much as we did.
Caralyn & Brian
