Perrysburg Pulse Magazine Perrysburg Pulse October | Page 30

SAVED
MY LIFE
MY DOG
BY ERICA VAN HOOSER
E
veryone purchases a pet in the hopes of having a
companion, but Renee’s, dog Gideon, is a true friend.
As she tells the Perrysburg Pulse, “A dog is the one thing on earth that
loves you more than himself.”
Renee and her then husband purchased the Alaskan
Malamute 7.5 years ago. Her bond with the dog was
instantaneous and incredible. When the couple divorced a few
years later, Renee’s ex refused to give Gideon up unless she paid him
$1,200.
“It wasn’t a hard decision at all to pay for him. I was keeping him no
matter what.”
The agony of the divorce took an emotional toll on Renee, but
Gideon was by her side.
“That dog is my child. I don’t know where I’d be without him
honestly. He’s more of an emotional support animal and a
companion than anything, he saved my life a few times.” She
admits, “I got really low a few times and it’s like he knew. He’d walk
up to me and lay his head on my lap or shoulder and stay there until
I calmed down, he’s an amazing pup.”
Renee has a pained look in her eyes as she recalls a time when she
had to return the favor. Standing 6”1’ on his hind legs and weighing
135 lbs, Gideon is by no means a lap dog. One summer day, one of
the hottest of the year, Renee guesses that Gideon was either spooked
by something inside the house or saw something outside that
appealed to him. In either case, the dog attempted to jump out of
a window in which an air conditioner was installed. The dog broke
the air conditioner’s side panels and tried to jump through the hole
he’d made. Gideon became stuck in the hole, half of his body in the
house and half of his body outside of it. By the time Renee arrived
home from work, the dog was fully bloated. She managed to break
Gideon loose and drive him to the veterinarian, who told Renee that
Gideon’s stomach had twisted. She had two options: allow the vet to
perform emergency surgery or put Gideon down.
“Of course I chose to have the surgery done”.
Unsure if Gideon would make it through surgery, Renee felt as if her
whole world was caving in as she watched her dog lay helplessly on
the operating table.
Thankfully, the surgery was a success, but she laughs, “I’m still
paying for that.”
She has since boarded up the window and installed an HVAC unit
in her house. It’s a small price to pay for her beloved pooch.
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Erica Van Hooser has lived in Perrysburg for 20
years. Passionate, dedicated, and happy these are
three words to describe her. Erica is passionate
about animals and the environment, and has been
vegan for 2 years. Dedicated, she is currently getting
her Master's degree in business. Happy, if you ask
anyone who knows Erica they would tell you she
brings the energy and positivity wherever she goes.