18 Dec Elmer
Elmer was the most affectionate, energetic, and happiest Basset Hound. His only other previous ailments were a bout of kennel cough and happy tail – when he wagged his tail so hard from happiness that he sprained it and needed pain meds and a restriction on tail wagging that was impossible to abide by. If you have ever entered our home and sat on the couch, you had Elmer in your lap saying hello – and if you ever spent the night you had him bouncing on your bed waking you up (sorry). He once bounded downstairs before we could stop him to sit in the lap of the man on the floor of our kitchen repairing our fridge to lick him to death to say hello. Needless to say, he was the worst guard dog but woke us up every morning with a smile, a lick, and ready to hit the dog park – his favorite place. His true passion was squirrels – going to great lengths to try to corner and catch them. Once while walking in DC, he had such exuberance about catching a squirrel that he managed to slip through metal bars of a six foot fence around a police station – leaving us holding the other end of the leash and frantically trying to coax him out the same way he went in so we did not have to explain to Metro PD how our doofy Basset Hound broke into their station. He was a simple guy who got confused easily which only contributed to his charm and his ability to melt your heart and make you laugh with his goofy grin. He constantly interrupted his mom while she was trying to work at home to insist they go sit outside in the nice weather or to complain that it was raining. In his short life he managed to win two costume contests as the perfect slinky dog. He looked amazing in a bow tie, was so stubborn he would just stop on walks when he did not want to go home, was always pawing at you to get you to pat him or snuggle, loved to have his butt scratched, loved to chase his big brother Balto around the house, needed reminders to keep his tongue in his mouth, and gave the best (and the most) kisses of any dog we’ve ever met. Our home and our hearts will forever miss the greatest source of simple joy that Elmer exuded. We will love you forever, Elmy, we hope you finally caught that squirrel.