Goodbye-Duke-post-image

In loving memory of

Duke Frodo Tewes

Today marks one week since we lost our beautiful boy Duke to tick fever with IMHA complications. He fought bravely for almost two weeks before he became too weak to fight anymore. In that time, we faced the hardest and most ridiculous roadblocks beginning with the lack of good veterinary care, the politics between doctors not wanting to treat another Doctor’s patient, difficulty finding his medicines to having to learn to administer IV and injections ourselves. In the end we drove him to Chennai for the best care with the best doctor, but we’d run out of time. We miss our Dukie boy so much and are trying to move forward even though the whole house reminds us of him.

Duke loved food, his daily walks and most of all loved to sleep, and I keep expecting to see him around the corner fast asleep, even snoring or dreaming. He slept so much that last year I did this series of photos of him. Even in death, he looked like he might just be sleeping. So calm despite the internal trauma.

In all of this, God was our greatest hope and support, providing for us in miraculous ways at every step. To be honest, getting Duke back last year and having him close these past 8 months was the greatest gift we could have hoped for. On top of that, a few days before Duke died, I got this verse from God, ‘He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.’ – verse 2 of Psalm 23 and I believe it’s where Duke is now. It gives me a deep sense of peace and reassurance and that is what I needed, in the face of death.