Darko

Today, January 28th at around 9:07am, our baby boy Darko passed away in our arms. It was at home with the family on his…

Posted by Bonnie Hussell on Sunday, 28 January 2018

 

I met Darko when I started working at Dog ‘n Suds in 2011.  Darko was one of the dogs that Tierce would tolerate and even play with, if the mood struck him right.  He could run circles around Tierce and would occasionally speed up and pull away from him like the Shiba was running in mud.  Darko would then circle around and see if he could poke at Tierce from behind and then speed away again, laughing like mad.

Darko loved running, loved the water, loved adventure, but what he really loved was his person, Bonnie.  He would tolerate time in the daycare when she had to be elsewhere, but he wasn’t happy until she was back where she belonged – with him.

He was passionately devoted to the rest of his family – Lee, Bonnie’s human counterpart; Harlem, his fellow canine partner in shenanigans; and the cats, Frenzy, Deunan, and Ravage.  Fortunately for Darko, from the beginning to the end of his life, he had what he loved best close by.

Cancer isn’t fair.  It can’t necessarily be predicted or guarded against; it sometimes can’t even be fought.  Darko did fight a wearying battle with it over the last year, along with his people who scrimped, saved, and sacrificed to get him the treatment and medications he needed.  Just when the last chemo treatment had been administered and it seemed that hope wasn’t too much of a luxury, Darko succumbed to complications.

The last time I saw Darko was when we met him and Bonnie while out on a walk.  He was a little scraggly from the cancer treatments, but in spirit, and took Shimi’s over-enthusiastic greeting with good grace.  Tierce, of course, was happy to see him.  Bonnie and I chatted and parted.  The last memory I have of him was him trotting along at Bonnie’s side, not caring where they went as long as he was with her.  From all reports, that was how he left this world – surrounded by those he loved best, not caring where he went as long as they were with him.

We are glad that you were loved, Darko, and that we knew you.  Our condolences to your family.

Julie, Mischa, Tierce, and Shimi

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If you wish to help with the final medical bills, Darko’s GoFundMe is here.

Explore Darko’s life and adventures at his website or his Facebook page.