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| Here’s Rags very soon after I brought him home in ’02. This is from Animals |
I’m not quite sure why I did this yesterday, but on a whim, I pulled out Rags’s paperwork (the stuff I got when he came to live with me in Sept. 2002) to remind myself exactly when he was born. For years, I’ve been operating under the impression that he came into this world in Jan. 2001. As it turns out, he was *actually* born in March 2000… which means my beloved companion is rapidly approaching 9 years old. Eeeps!!
I just checked, and the average lifespan of basset hounds is 11-12 years old, although some live as long as 14. This is very sad.
Rags has always been a very healthy dog. Most bassets, especially as they age, tend to gain a lot of weight, but he has always been solidly muscular… I suspect that’s largely attributable to his sensitive stomach, which I have always blamed for why he doesn’t eat a lot.
So, I hope he and I will have several more years of adventure and mischief together. I adore the hound. I remember several years ago, when I had started dating someone who was less-than-enthusiastic about Rags, having a friend say rather bluntly, “If Liz has to choose between you and Rags, she’ll pick Rags every time.” Quite right.