TRIBUTES: Ginger

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In Memory of Ginger
by Charmaine Gyorkos

After losing our first Boxer Gypsy to lymphoma, I spent hours looking at various Boxer websites. I came across Ginger's picture while visiting the Boxer Rescue Los Angeles website. My heart went out to this little Boxer with no ears. She had this particular look in her eyes that reminded me of our Gypsy. We had a trip planned to Los Angeles (we lived in Sacramento) so decided to stop by the kennel to take a look at the Boxers needing a home but with the intent of visiting Fina (her name at the time). Boy, what a tiny little thing and what a pistol! I didn't know that a tail could wag so fast and that a dog could give so many kisses. I felt compelled to take a look at what other Boxers needed a home and as we sent her back our hearts fell.

In all honesty, after taking a look at the other Boxers I just didn't know if my heart could take one without taking them all. We were almost ready to leave to take time to reconsider if it was time for another or if we should wait a little bit longer. We decided to look at Fina just one more time. Ursula suggested that we take her for a walk, she knew what she was doing. I didn't even get out of the kennel when I decided that I had to take this little girl home with us. She sat in my lap all the way back to Sacramento with her head on my chest and her eyes, when not closed, fixed on me. This was April 2, 2000.

This little girl was a character. As tiny as she was, barely 50 lb, she managed to wrestle and play [Boxer style] with our 80 lb Boxer, Deuce. She loved chasing after squirrels, lizards, chasing butterflies and dragonflies. I remember when, after bringing her home from the hospital after having a benign tumor removed from her leg, we escorted her out to relieve herself. Strict instructions from the doctor were to keep her confined and inactive for about a week. Well, wouldn't you know it but her little friend the squirrel was sitting on top of a six foot, at least, embankment taunting her.

Before we knew it, she had jumped the embankment, chased the squirrel and came awfully close to taking a lock of hair off his tail before the squirrel took a leap onto a tree. All I could see was a vision of the $300 that we had just paid the hospital. We managed to retrieve her and after checking her out, her sutures were untouched but she did have small scratches on her stomach from the brush. We should have known better than to take her out without being on a leash. Live and learn but this was one of many typical Ginger episodes.

I miss feeling her ears as they sometimes brushed against my cheek as we slept. Sometimes she actually slept on top of me. She knew of no other place to sit but on someone's lap and would not take no for an answer. She was so stubborn and everyone spoiled her.

We still can't believe how quickly she left us. She had a seizure on Monday night, August 15th. Her vet had us monitor her. She seemed okay until Friday when we noticed that she was unbalanced and could not stand on our laminate floors without falling and then could not get up. We took her in and the doctor suspected a brain tumor and noticed that she had an enlarged thyroid and some lumps. She referred us to a neurologist at UC Davis. We had to wait until Monday. By Sunday, she started having seizure after seizure, could barely stand without falling to one side. She was unresponsive. We kept her vet posted.

This little girl was so exhausted but her Boxer instincts kicked in when she heard a motorcycle and the doorbell. She would escape from our arms and run to the door barking and wanting out. Then she'd collapse. We could not see how she could continue with the seizures. We called the doctor and she agreed that we make the most humane and loving decision.

On Sunday, August 21st at 6:00PM, we let her go. We haven't seen her friend the squirrel so we imagine that she's probably chased him all the way up to Oregon by now!!