Cassidy Kirk Hames

Cassidy, born around 1996, died August 22, 2011. He was a “lost dog” when the Hames-Kirk family was so very lucky to get him. He jumped in the back of someone’s SUV in a parking lot and they brought him home, and though with much effort, could never find his original pack members. Their own dog could never get along with this beautiful, loving canine, so after a few months he was passed to a neighbor who had numerous cats. Given the name “Sammy,” he got along with the cats well enough, but the family couldn’t afford to feed this big, cheerful, golden-red, retriever and after a few months Sammy was taken in by Don and Jo who gave him the name “Cassidy” after the famous outlaw Butch Cassidy. He was scruffy, dirty, skinny, and teaming with flees, but that was quickly corrected and then a trip to the doctor he went. He was at least 5-1/2 years of age according to his bright and healthy teeth, but he toted a gallstone and an enlarged heart. Not likely to live more than a year, said the vet, but several medicines might help. With a special diet, the gallstoneand a sharp bone stuck crosswise in his GI trackeventually passed. Finally, Cassidy was ready to go, though during the first two weeks in his new home, he made every effort to escape and hurry back to his previous hangout. He already knew how to open gates with his nose, so after the gates were secured, he would get trapped between posts or stuck under the fence. He had to be cut loose with wire cutters more than once. He longed for his original pack. But after two weeks, he felt more comfortable in his new home and was given free reign to visit his previous two packs. No longer did the gates have to be wired shutor even closedhe had found a new home. And it was clear he already knew indoor life, where, it was obvious, his former owners obviously let him reside. He was courteous and well house-trained, and stood still when combed and teeth washed. This lost “junk-yard” dog had surely once lived with the finest of families. Cassidy quickly and joyfully learned new tricks; it took no more than four minutes to learn to “high five.” He could hold a bone on his nose, wear glasses, and do all those dumb tricks humans wanted him to do, but he never stubbornly pulled on a leash. He loved to go on long walks in the park and in his neighborhood where hundreds of kids came to know him; kids who looked forward to playing with him after school; afternoon walks always took much longer than they should. He always had that wide-open grin of contentment, tongue dangling almost to the ground. But Cassidy was happiest in the waterany water except the bathtubwhere he could retrieve to his heart’s content. He could smell water a mile away, once climbed down a hillside and jumped into a creek so far down that he couldn’t pull himself out. Clinging to a tree root, with a fearful, worried face, he waited for help from a pack member. But he’d jump again for that soothing swim, and once played football in a rushing river, always the first to get to the ball. Yeah, Cassidy had it good; he gave love and received it in spades. He made a few trips to nursing homesgoing room to roomso the elderly could pet him, joy and contentment blooming on their faces. He even loved the blue-suited mailman who returned the favor with rides in his step van. He always wanted to be with people, always sitting or lying by the pack leader while he worked indoor or out, sometimes lying too dang close, and often he curled up in the center of the kitchen floor to make sure no one would leave without him, or pull out a treat without his knowing. He once taught a fearful young black lab how to swim, and kids how to correctly shake hands. He never lacked of playfulness and bountiful energy until long after his coat had gone gray and walks went from miles to blocks. Hip dysphasia slowly grated on him, but a tick infection, stiffening legs, a mysterious growth on a heart valve, a rapid heartbeat, and a paralyzing stroke, finally slowed him down. He was able to lie in the surf of Canyon Lake just a week before his passing, but you could see that he was saddened that he could no longer swim out into that deep water and retrieve to his heart’s content. It was time. Cassidy is survived by two other pack members, Don and Jo. He was cremated August 23, 2011 at All Paws Great and Small Pet Crematory in San Antonio, Texas. In lieu of flowers, Cassidy would like dog treats sent to your favorite Veterinarian.

Funeral Home:
All Paws Great and Small Crematory
5611 E. Houston St.
San Antonio, TX
US 78220