By: Rocky and Dr. Royann Leflore
Just this morning, I read the following quote in my Bible study “Some of the greatest relationships you will have are by chance encounters or by accident”. Soon after, while on Facebook, I saw where a friend had lost his dog. After reading a touching tribute, looking at pictures, and scrolling through multiple friend’s comments, I knew the feelings he was having about his dog. I had lost “the great one” a few years back. I called to offer my condolences and to find out about this amazing dog.
The first thing I found about Avery was she was a dog by chance. She was a dog that Jason Waddell wasn’t even supposed to own or was she? During his senior year at Mississippi State University, Tommy, a friend of Jason’s, called to see if he wanted a puppy. Tommy’s puppies were usually around five hundred each. Knowing that he couldn’t afford an expensive labrador on a college student’s budget, Tommy gave him a puppy with an agreement that Jason would train and hunt with her and Tommy could have a puppy from her later on. Jason got a puppy and named her Sadie. Jason and Sadie began training, and she was ready for her first duck season. Early one fall morning, Sadie was involved in a fatal accident. Everyone was crushed. After hearing what had happened, Tommy called and by chance, had another litter of puppies with the same pedigree. Tommy had chosen the pick of the litter for Jason and it was a big black female. After not accepting multiple offers to pay for Avery, Jason finally threw all the cash he had in his pocket on the table and ran out the door. Avery cost him a whopping $37.00.
Avery in her favorite place
Every day, Jason and Avery trained for the upcoming duck season. Jason’s best friends Joel Williams(Teul) and Sam Pierce(Chuckle12) and other local hunting buddies would meet up and train their dogs together. They took their regular fetching dogs to duck hunting machines, and the dogs were doing blind retrieves and working hand signals before duck season. Jason had more than a duck dog, though. He and Avery had become best friends. Constant companions, she wouldn’t leave his side nor would he leave her. He really couldn’t. Avery was a super athlete. She could stand flat-pawed and jump through his truck window or over the truck tailgate. Avery wasn’t a duck dog locked in a kennel until it was time to hunt or train, she became one of the guys on camping trips, jeep rides, and just hanging out on the lake with Jason and his buddies. At social events, cookouts, concerts, etc, etc, you would find Avery mingling around the crowd or just laying there amongst everybody taking it all in. Jason then took at job in Birmingham, AL and Avery was the only person he knew until he became settled in his new home. From then on, Avery touched so many lives in two different states. Jason would always get compliments on how well mannered and smart Avery was. People would always tell Jason how they wished their dogs were just like Avery. Avery was also his shop buddy. When he worked on his rock crawlers, Avery would lay there and watch over to keep him company.
Jason and Avery
Avery was a dream duck hunting dog. The only trouble Avery had was she was stingy when it came to retrieving. If friends came along and brought other dogs, she didn’t understand why she didn’t get to bring back all the ducks. She would look at Jason in disgust in these moments. Avery witnessed some of the best duck hunts some hunters only dream about and a few bad ones that Jason wants to forget.
Avery in her favorite place
As she got older, she still went to camp. but Avery didn’t hunt as much. She would only go if conditions were going to be ideal. She still had the drive, but her body couldn’t tolerate the demands of duck hunting. As her muzzle turned to grey, new health issues arose. After noticing some breathing problems, a concerned Jason took Avery to her veterinarian. She was diagnosed with chronic heart disease. Knowing the grim prognosis, Jason wanted her to be as comfortable as possible. The doctor put her on diuretics that would pull fluid off of her chest cavity.
For the past six months since her diagnosis, the medicine seemed to put a pep in Avery’s step. She was her old self again until this past weekend. Avery took a turn for the worse. Jason came home to find his dog in an almost empty state. She could stand for a second and then she would just lay back down. The vet advised him to increase her medication, but it didn’t work. Frantic, he rushed her to the local emergency clinic. Chest X-rays revealed that she had regurgitated some food into her lungs. Surgery was an option, but giving her age and heart condition, anesthesia was extremely risky. Jason faced a tough decision. Did he let his best friend suffer her last days or say goodbye? He let her go comfortably.
Avery is fetching ducks and chasing tennis balls for somebody else for the time being, but she is waiting for Jason just like she always has. Jason buried her at his family farm. Last night, Jason said he was sitting around the fire pit reminiscing about the good memories he and Avery shared when he felt “The Nudge”. It was the spot on his arm that Avery had put her wet nose many times. To his shock and disbelief, his family’s German shepherd, Chief was standing there. Chief knew!! Jason and Chief made the trek just eighty yards down the hill from the house to visit Avery’s grave one last time before bed. They both paid tribute one more time to an old friend. They turned and headed back up to the house, and Jason swore that he heard whimpering coming from Chief as if he was crying. He knew!
I think it is destiny that serious duck hunters have one excellent dog in their career. Losing that dog is devastating to the heart and soul of the man. Jason lost one by chance, but the greatness he found in his loss made him a better man.
RIP Avery 2003-2016
