By Trent Rosser

A while back I wrote my last article. I did not quit, just a semi-retirement. I needed a break, and with quite a bit going on, I had to take a step back. Sometimes, you need to step back before you can go forward. I still need a little time, but this is a story that is dear to my heart. I also wanted to share it with all my readers and fans. So, without further ado…..

The last few weeks, I have asked the Amarillo Pioneer to rerun some of my stories about Hunter and Hades. I tried to run them in order, but with so many it was hard to keep track. Earlier this week I talked about Hunter, Hades and their difference with water. Well, a couple of weeks ago, we did something crazy with them. We took them to the lake! Yep, somehow my wife convinced me we should take them to Lake Meredith. We have taken them on short drives. We have taken them to my work and to the dog park, but they have never been in the truck longer than 30 minutes. We wanted to take them to Red River sometime, but we had to wait until this COVID-19 was over with first. So this would be a test run to see how they would do.

So, we loaded up the truck with hot dogs, a small grill, and an ice chest full of sodas and water. Then we loaded up the boys and headed out. Sure enough, we didn't quite make it out of town and both were bouncing from window to window. Every time I looked in my sideview mirror, all I saw was a large dog's head staring back at me. Ears flopping in the wind and tongue hanging out. When we finally arrived, both Hunter and Hades could not wait to get out. I told them both to pee before we left, but they waited and barely made it out of the truck in time. Each dog peed on my tires!

After a little while it was time to get in the water. As most of you know, Hades loves water. He is constantly trying to bite it as the water is coming out of the hose when we are watering the grass or filling their swimming pool. Hunter on the other hand, will not hardly get in the pool and runs away from the water. So I was expecting Hunter to stay on the bank of the lake. Again, Hunter proved me wrong by jumping in and he took off swimming like crazy! Hades was right behind him. We were in water, splashing around and they both were loving every bit of it. We swam around, got them back on shore, waited a few minutes and did it again. After a while, we got back to the truck. I started cooking hot dogs and of course they are right there with us. A few hours later, everyone was tired and ready to go back home. Again, they loved the car ride. Only this time, Hunter wanted to be in the front seat to see where he was going. Either that, or he was wanting me to let him drive!. Hades, crashed out and fell asleep in the back seat.

Most nights, they get to sleep with us. I have talked about Hunter trying to choke me out when I sleep by lying his head on my neck while he sleeps, but not this time. All four of us were out on the king size bed and not one of us moved the entire night. All of us were tuckered out. They loved it. They have always loved going on car rides or going to work with me on Saturdays.

Hunter is the first pet my wife and I got after we were married. He could fit in the palm of my hand when we got him and now he is about 90 to 100 pounds. He is my wife's protector. Hades we acquired from a relative that moved into an apartment and could no longer keep him. Being a year younger than Hunter and only weighing about 60 pounds, he is the dog that I did not want. But Hades kept working on me. Eventually, he became my dog and would sit in my lap. I kept telling my wife that we were going to rename him from Hades to Fungus….. "He grows on ya!"

Having a pet is a wonderful thing. To some people, they are just that, pets. To others, like my wife and myself, they are not pets, they are our children. No matter what kind of day you are having, they are always glad to see you. Their love is unconditional. They make your day and are playful and understand you more than you know. Hunter and Hades are our children.

Unfortunately, like every good story, there comes an end. Usually it is a good ending and "the cowboy rides off into the sunset," so to speak. Not this time. A couple of weeks ago, another dog was here as well and we were watching him for a relative while he was out of town. This one liked to jump on the fence. As I left for work, I noticed that our fence was bent a little. Hunter and Hades were staring at me as I backed out of the driveway and headed to work. At 10 am, my wife called in a panic. All three were out of the yard and were now missing. I took off from work and we searched to no avail. Then we received the dreaded phone call. My daughter found them at the animal shelter. As we rushed there to get them, we learned the awful truth. They all ended up on the interstate and were killed by one speeding semi truck. Our babies were gone.

Our hearts were broken. After talking with the field supervisor at the shelter I was told that they could hold them for us until that evening, but first thing in the morning, they would be taken to the landfill. A few phone calls later, we would take them to my father's ranch for a proper burial. We had to get sheets to wrap them up, so as we went back to the shelter, my father stepped up and dug a grave with the tractor.

I will not describe the scene of picking them up, but I will say it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. Once at the ranch, I gently put them in the grave together. After all, they were best friends and brothers. My wife gave them their toys, and we said our goodbyes.

The last few weeks have been hard. Walking in the door, and neither one of them there to greet you. The first couple of Saturdays were hard also. That's the day that they would go to work with me. They are no longer here to keep my wife company and to love on her like they always did. My favorite picture is that of Hunter and my wife, hugging each other with their foreheads touching and their eyes closed. Again, our hearts are broken.

I know that some have followed the antics of Hunter and Hades, from wearing a basket on his head and licking the windows to being water boarded. So now the story of Hunter and Hades has come full circle. The final chapter of Hunter and Hades has come to a close. One of the things that helps me get through is that they loved car rides. From the animal shelter to the ranch, they were able to get one last ride.

R.I.P. Hunter and Hades

Gone, but Never Forgotten