Tonka the Wonka Woo-Woo

• Personality: Goofy - cuddly - busy - baby - drama queeeeeeen
• Nicknames: Wonks, Tooey, Boo-boo head, Pain in the ass
  
  

Born: Dec, '98	Weight: 160 lb
Adopted: June 5, '00	Height: 35-in
Color: Black with white paws	Ears: naturally floppy
Sex: Stud!

It all began a little more than 7 years ago...when Tonka burst into our lives, full of joy and barking and energy and sunshine. Goofy Tonka with his four white paws and his great big ole head. Exasperating Tonka, who made me cry right from the start...with his exuberance and lab-like wildness, and his silly antics. Tonka, who barked for the sheer joy of being awake and alive. Tonka, who barked because he was all alone in a strange house with no one to hear him. Tonka, whose paws were soon tattooed on my heart.

Tonka was a silly 18 month old wild child when he came home to us memorial day weekend of 2000. He was 33 inches at the should and weighed about 145 lb, with some growing still to do. His foster mom, Lori Gotlieb, was hobbling around on a cast, courtesy of Tonka's enthusiastic romps up and down the stairs. He loved to meet people of all ages and sizes, he adored men and loved pickup trucks. He was happy to meet four-legged friends too, but especially appreciated the smaller dogs.

Laura Brennan had to counsel me, I was at my wit's end. Tonka didn't act like a dane, he acted like a lab! He was boisterous and sunny and bursting with life. And Panda and I were quiet and boring and not quite prepared for the cyclone who invaded our lives. And the neighbor, who was not too happy with a dog who barked continually from the time I left until the time I came home. And the family, who couldn't imagine why I needed another monster in my life and especially one who drooled so very much.

None of it mattered, though. I fell in love with him the minute I saw him and, throughout all of the hair pulling and crying, he remained his joyful special self. He was destined to be an integral part of my family. We addressed his separation anxiety as quickly as possible, and the neighbor soon became fond of Tonka. The family, well, I don't care much about whether they like my dogs, so they learned to deal. And after a bit, Panda and Tonka worked out their relationship, and were playing and pouncing and having fun. In fact, neither of us could imagine a life without a Tonka. Tonka became Tonka the Wonka, then Tonka the Wonka Woo Woo (sounding like a train), then Wonka, Wonkster, Woo, Boo Boo Head and just Boo.

Tonka became a well-known ambassador for great danes and MAGDRL. We attended hundreds of meet and greets, years of Pet Expos, and so many home checks I lost count. He had his CGC and TDI, although I never pursued because I wouldn't vaccinate. He was so outgoing and friendly and happy to meet everyone and be everyone's best friend. He would snuggle close on your lap on the couch, and growl softly if you tried to move--a little intimidating unless you knew him well. He loved bones--he would use only his nose to move them, hide them, play with them. He would sometimes let me help him find a good hiding spot and watch anxiously until I placed it just right. Then he would lay down with a view to the bone's location and make sure it stayed put.

He was also a miracle boy. In May, he was diagnosed with an infiltrative lymphoma in his hock, and we didn't think he would make it. But with the help of Chinese herbs and holistic meds, the swelling went down and the joint stabilized. At that time, he was also diagnosed with lumbar-sacral disease (his hip plate was significantly lower than his spine). But he continued along his happy, silly, goofy way and all was well.

At a little after one am this morning, I said goodbye to my beautiful generous handsome boy. Yesterday morning, he was scheduled to go in for a checkup to the ortho vet. That morning, he stumbled and was favoring his hock a lot. I didn't think he'd make it down the stairs. Generous and such a good boy, even while in what must have been excruciating pain, he tried to sit for me when I paused at the door to find the keys--he must've thought that I wanted him to sit (His usual routine at the door, lest I be carried away by his exuberance). We got to the vet, and found that there weren't too many options for him except pain management and diagnosis (which would lead to more pain management). By the time we got back home, he collapsed first on the street and then on the front porch. We finally made it to the living room, where he lay, practically in the same position for 12 hours. At 11 pm, and with some powerful pain killers, we tried to walk to the front for potty. He collapsed again, and I immediately called emergency vet, who talked to me for at least 30 minutes about what we could do. I finally had to get the sling under his hind end (he hates the sling and is frightened of it) and sternly make him get up. I commandeered him into the car (barely) and took him into emergency. The vet thinks there was neurological damage as well as problems with his hock.

Tonka the Wonka Woo-Woo was such a special dane. And I expected so much of him--he never let me down. I can't begin o comprehend how much I will miss him.

Dec 1998-January 2008

Sheila
Panda (I will be with you, Tonka)
Sera (no, me--you liked _me_ better)
Tonka (tattooed on my heart)