This will be long and difficult. Bear with me.
CM Punk said last year, “Grief is the price we pay for unconditional love.” He went through the same thing.
Unfortunately, this day was a reality in the last couple months. He had not been eating or getting up much from the couch at home nor the beds here. He wasn’t running to grab his toy out of excitement. He wasn’t barking at the delivery trucks or a customer that was walking up. He wasn’t walking much nor going to the bathroom. At first, it appeared to just be arthritis. But the medications weren’t working and now I know why.
Instead, it was cancer that came very fast. I took him to the best hospital out there: The St. Charles Veterinary Hospital off Dunham Road and 64. A tumor exploded on his spleen and and another began to grow near his heart. I had to stop the pain for him and let him be in a better place. I held onto him until the very end. Every night we had as besties, I told him I loved him before bed and to be a good boy. This night, the same thing. As this all was happening, a huge storm was going on. Something from the sky was fitting. So I know King Slash is there in heaven with God who is probably giving him belly rubs as I type this. I know God is taking care of him and making him 100% healthy again.
It is appropriate that this dude was born one month after the new location of this store opened up in 2014. I was in a very bad place where someone I trusted in life took everything I had in December 2013. My store needed a new location. I had to start all over in every facet of life. The stars aligned. In my mind, I said if I ever got a dog, his name would be Slash. It was meant to be.
Five years and four owners later, I rescued him from The Animal House Shelter in Huntley. “Four” is not a typo either. He was returned three different times after being with the original owner. Nobody wanted him. He had signs of abuse. He bit another dog and then a child with another family. Some said he was trashing houses from anxiety.
I never put him in a crate. I left the curtains open in the houses so he could look outside. All of these years, “problem solved.” While he still panicked and howled at the sky while I was gone from the house on those rare nights, the excitement upon returning home was one like no other.
It turned out, nobody knew how to actually take care of him. In June of 2019, I was in yet, another bad place mentally. I found out a childhood friend of mine had passed and it put me in a very dark place. Weeks later, I said “fuck it” and went to the shelter to look at dogs to help me out mentally. I never had any pets growing up and to put it bluntly, had no idea how to take care of one. After seeing one dog, they brought another named “Tank.” He was sitting there for about five months and again, nobody wanted him. Again, I said “fuck it, I’ll take this one.” I am sure they were ecstatic to finally get rid of him. It was an honor and privilege on my end. I said that name sucks and called him “King Slash.” And he responded much better to that very quickly.
From then, he began to pull me out of the shitter. And he did this many times because quite frankly, I found myself in bad situations whether intentional or intentional. As some of you know, I went through some big surgeries over the last four years. He was by my side on the couch for all of them. All of those rides to the warehouses or even just to the grocery store, he would jump off the couch the second I went into the kitchen to put my shoes on. We were inseparable.
So many tough nights. The surgeries and injuries. A horrible breakup a few years back. The 12-14 work days where I would be in the store and late catching up on things while he lays down. He didn’t care where he was laying down as long as he was with me. And for me, I couldn’t be without him. The house is going to be empty now.
All of the walks, especially on Lake Shore Drive in the city. It was his favorite place. We were fortunate to get one walk in down there in early May. Afterwords, he got his chicken tenders from Connie’s Pizza in Bridgeport. There was no better day than that.
All of the times he would chase a squirrel to try to eat it, damn. He got close many times. In 2022, he got real close. I was in the parking lot of an ex-lady friend where a squirrel was on top of a trash bin. He came around from the bottom and jumped big time “booping” the squirrel before running off. We were both in shock. Throughout this entire time, I always told him that “one day, you’re going to catch a squirrel.” Today is the day as he is in heaven. God will give him that ability. I can imagine him doing it now and bet it tastes very good.
He tore both of ACL’s. I had him get surgery for them five months apart in 2020 and into 2021. $3,000 for each leg. It was worth every penny. His breed of dogs along with his size weren’t suppose to live past 10 years old. He got 12. I had seven of those years with him. More with him than without him. That is a blessing.
The food. I was told not to give him too much human food. Some customers told me they gave their dogs nothing but human food and they lived long and happy lives. I did the same thing in a sense. Whatever food I couldn’t finish, I gave him. On many occasions, I would be behind the store or at home grilling food. Four burgers in a package. Guess what? He got two of them. Steaks from Inboden’s? Yep. One for me and one for him. The last picture I have of him was a couple weeks ago on Memorial Day and he’s eating that steak. He loved the bone and became aggressive if anyone came near it. Same with his toys as some of you may know.
We donated most of his beds that were still in great shape to Tails along with his food bowls. We wanted another animal to carry on his legacy as the best dog in the world.
There are many “thanks” to give. First, I want to thank The Animal House Shelter in Huntley for giving me the best dog in the entire existence of the world. For him to appear like that in a time of dismay in my life was incredible. I know there is a rescue shelter here in town and I am sure they are awesome as well. But these folks were top notch and gave me the opportunity.
Second, Carshon Hampton at Modern Mutt Spa in Sycamore. Carshon is an amazing groomer and even better human. She always cleaned up Slash nicely and days before he left this world, she cleaned him one up last time. He was very happy.
Next, I want to thank the vets at Animal Care Clinic in both Pingree Grove and South Elgin, especially in the last few months. Monica was his main vet tech for many years and every time he saw her, no matter how much sick or pain he was in, went nuts in the most awesome ways when seeing her. Thank you, Monica.
Special thanks to the St. Charles Veterinary Hospital off of Dunham Road for making him very comfortable in his last moments. When I walked in the room, a vet tech was comforting him. Upon seeing me, the tail was wagging for the first time in days. He made sure to give kisses to me as well. He knew it. I took him there after he tore his ACL’s years ago as well as a minor surgery a year after for his foot. I am very grateful they helped me say goodbye to him on a rainy, Saturday night. It was only appropriate that was the weather. When walking out, the rain stopped.
Next, those employees of mine who took care of him while I was out of town to be on National Television acting like dumbass. Jackie, I know you will hate me for talking about you here. For those who know, she put up with me for seven years on a nearly daily basis before finding a better job with a much better boss. She watched him most of the time while I was away and took him home many nights after work. My current employees, Mallory and Rachel, thank you. They did their part in helping me out in the last couple years as well.
To my friends, you know who you are. Some of you who watched him while I was getting on a plane somewhere for a show as well over all these years, thank you. If I start naming people, I know I may forget someone. But one needs to be mentioned. Sadly, my best friend Karen passed away years ago after her battle with cancer. She took care of him several times in 2019 and 2020 when I first rescued him and taught me how to take care of a dog since she had a couple beforehand. Being out of town all these years traveling was so damn difficult because all I wanted to do the second I got off that plane was to get back home to my best friend. But you all watched him at my house and when I got home, he was his old self again.
Lastly, I want to thank the customers and others who may be reading this. King Slash got up from his bed to say hello to many whom he recognized by their voices. He was the protector of this store. All the barks at the delivery trucks as well as the ones who were real close to him. The customers who knew me from the store seeing me walking him around the neighborhoods, thank you. I definitely appreciated it.
I learned a very valuable lesson over these last seven years: No human will ever love you more than a dog will. I will miss this guy. He rescued me more than I rescued him. I also know God willing, I will see him again one day.
(Click to enlarge.)
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