A Portrait of a Lady

Too soon after returning from New England, we learned our beloved bajensi girl Tutsi had advanced, metasticized squamous cell carcinoma, and that there was no hope for a recovery.  The small lump that Ted had check out at the vet the day we left had tripled in size by the time we came home 12 days later, and the antibiotics had had no affect - obviously.  A biopsy and the results came next, and this afternoon we send our graceful old lady into the next life.  Here are some of my memories of her.

Tutsi (registered name Regal Fox's Tu Tu Tutsi Don't Cry) came to us from my sister #2, in December of 2001.  She was just three months old, and the cutest thing.  Faldo, our yellow lab, didn't know what to make of her at the time, but she fell in love with him immediately.

 

 Oh, she HAD her own bed - but had to be near him. 

VERY near him.

When she was still just a few months old, she broke one of her hind legs in the growth plate, and had to have pins inserted.  We still don't know how it happened, but she recovered like a trouper.

 

She charmed a lot of people (not all, but a lot).

 

 My mother-in-law was no exception.

 

 Grandkids were not immune.

 

And of course after Ted, Carny was her true love.

Tutsi's first deer hunting trip in 2002 was a real bonanza for her - she must have spent two hours trying to devour this foreleg whole.....

 ...and then it was nap time.

 

Tutsi loved hanging out on the wood box at the Vegas house.

Here is Tutsi with her litter mate sister.

 

Tutsi did NOT love the pool.

 

Nor was she particularly fond of this Peg Bundy coat. 

 

But she did love to den up.

In 2006, when Nigel found us, we were home to the three dogs.

At times Tutsi liked having someone her own size around, but woe unto Nigel if he messed with Faldo!

I was throwing a ball for Nigel and Faldo (Tutsi was completely indifferent to fetch).  Nigel would run up to Faldo and bully him into dropping the ball, whereupon Nigel would fetch it to me.  That happened twice, before Tutsi began to run interference for Faldo, growling whenever Nigel got near him, so Faldo was able to fetch the ball to me himself.

Take THAT, Nigel! 

Tutsi was curious,



 

 

and intrepid.

 

 

 

 

She was a dainty eater,

 

and a good little traveler.

When we moved to Oregon in 2010, and especially after we lost Faldo, Tutsi slowed down a touch, and seemed to get along better with Nigel.

 

  While Tutsi never cared for the cold, she would go out with Ted and run through the property like a puppy.  Right up to the end.  She would also then run off and away, to return only at her leisure.

 

Tutsi had a strong personality - I mean, if you surprised her, she would make like the Tasmanian Devil and generally scare the sh*t out of you.  She wasn't especially friendly with strangers or new people - that's the "rascal" side of her breed.   Tutsi even had a "caution" sticker in her vet file, because she would growl to beat the band.  She growled at the vet today, and the vet said, "I wouldn't exect anything less from you, Tuts."

 

 But Tutsi loved us.

 

 

And we loved her.

And we'll never forget you, you sweet old girl.

Our Tutsi
September 26, 2001 - October 20, 2012