Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Public Defense Blogs -> A Public Defender's Life in Alaska

Public Defense

: A Public Defender's Life in Alaska

By A Public Defender's Life in Alaska

So, the cost of life in Alaska grew today. Last night a moose (apparently) kicked my old hound dog in the head. Today, I had to have him put down. That seems calm enough but I wailed like a baby at the vet. There was no way I could do it after all we had been through. Like the time we had a party at Brian's house to save his eye. Charged $100 a plate for a 6 course meal, booze and a jazz band. Dozens of people showed up to save Gromit's eye because a stick was stuck in it and UC Davis wanted $1500 to save it. Like the time the police had to hold him because they were arresting me. Hunting for deer with Steve Cope. The time he rolled in some of Steve Cope's poop when we were hunting and I didn't notice it until after I had started petting him. How he saved the next door neighbors lives when their house caught fire and he woke me up and I had to wake them up (that earned him a prime rib dinner). How I cried when I saw him in California after my mother watched him when I moved and couldn't take him. How he got so fat at the Frye Ranch because they free fed. Gromit always did love to eat. He would eat whatever he could. Including apple pies. A whole deer. Once, I butchered a small road kill deer for about 15 dogs. They were not used to meat so they refused to eat it. Gromit ate the whole thing. His belly was so big it almost touched the ground. He slept for 3 days. Gromit was born May 31, 1996. In early July 1996 my girlfriend Monica and I went to get him. My mother was livid when I got home. But he was soon loved by all that knew him. He lived with me in British Columbia. In California. In Alaska. When Sam and Wallace died I put up a closing argument that talks about how special dogs are. For Gromit something different. Neil Young said it best in his song Old King. "King went a-sniffin' and he would go Was the best old hound dog I ever did know. I had a dog and his name was king I told the dog about everything. There in my truck the dog and I Then one day the king up and died.Then I thought about the times we had, once when i kicked him when he was bad. Old king sure meant a lot to me. But that hound dog is history. Was the best old hound dog I ever did know." I would invite all those that knew this special dog to leave a comment. I would like that very much. He was my friend and I loved him. I will miss him dearly. Gromit, rest in peace. May 31, 1996 to October 16, 2007. P.S. It's on bitches. I swear to God when I pull the trigger on that next moose I'm doing it for Gommie dog.

Full post as published by A Public Defender's Life in Alaska on October 16, 2007 (boomark / email).