Rest In Peace to our alpha boy, Whiskey.
He is featured in the original logo that was designed back in 2018 and was a big inspiration to our company. Last week, we had to say goodbye, breaking the hearts of many in our pack and our village of friends and family. We wanted to extend our gratitude to all who purchased and donated to cover his cremation. It meant a lot to us. Whiskey lived a long and beautiful life. However, we all wish dogs lived forever.
He and Chiwiwee were older rescues that I adopted, knowing that not having them from younger ages would be hard. We knew we wouldn't have them for long, so we made every moment with them the best we could. I am so thankful my husband and I spent the last decade dedicating ourselves to our animals. We aren't rich because of it, but we are rich with the memories we created with all of them. We are rich with unconditional love and loyalty.
Whiskey was the alpha of our pack. He loved bananas, sitting in a hammock with his momma, and adventuring. We used to say he had nine lives. He snuck out of his caregiver's yard on our honeymoon and got hit by a truck, survived destroying endless furniture when he was young, and even had a foreign body surgery after eating my boot. He spent half of his life with us terrorizing everything and shredding whatever he could get his teeth on. We eventually got him a different crate, and strangely, that turned him into a different dog. He was the best snuggler and always needed big chunky sweaters in the winter. He traveled down to Macon to see my family, and everyone knew who Whiskey was. He was the alpha, and he was a really good one. He would visit barns with me and never traveled far off-leash as we sat under the stars. He and I had an understanding that he was my best friend and I was his.
He hung out daily with his brother Kona, loved playing with Phoebe, and cuddling with Luna. Before Chiwiwee passed, they had a unique relationship as they knew they were elders of the pack. They cuddled, and he would tease her by booping her with his snoot. When Ginger came along, he walked her around the yard, and she became stuck to his hip. I would walk her on a leash in the yard, and he would follow. He never liked leaving my side and always wanted to be wherever I was. I LOVED IT. He knew that Ginger was going to be that for me too. He knew that the moment I brought her home, he could finally rest because I was going to be taken care of. Kona knew too. Twenty-four hours before Whiskey passed, Kona started having loose stools, and before we knew it, he gave himself HGE and became really sick after Whiskey passed. I think that week was every dog parent's worst nightmare. Kona is now feeling much better, but still grieving the loss of his best friend.
We thank everyone who purchased from us this past weekend or donated money to cover Whiskey's cremation costs. We are grateful for our village of friends who helped us get through every second of the trauma we endured, and for the hospitals where we spent a day to say goodbye to one boy and save another. Whiskey was a legacy, and so was Chiwiwee. Stay tuned for her post.
My dogs at Lexie's Hound Lounge are all rescues from the streets or shelters. We have dedicated ourselves to their care. I created this company just for them so their legacies could live on, and I can continue rescuing animals. Eventually, we hope to assist in veterinary care for animals in need. As my husband said, "This is what we do. We save animals." He's right. In the worst of it, that's what we remind ourselves. Thank you to everyone who loves my pack like I do. You guys keep us moving forward.