I am saddened to say that Axel did not win his battle with the car. As some of you know, he was hit by a truck, broke his jaw and had a concussion. As he came off of steroids it became apparent that he could no longer move his back legs. The cost of his evaluation was going to range $2,000-3,000, which my aunt and her boyfriend could not afford. A vet tech offered, however, to take him to a specialist in Columbia, if they would give him the dog. The specialist determined that Axel had discs that were slipping in and out and that not even surgery would guarantee a pain-free life. The decision was made to put Axel down, because of the pain he was in.
Dixie (left) and Axel as a puppy
Me squishing the baby Axel.
I don't currently have any pictures uploaded of Axel as a big boy, and what a big boy he was, weighing over 105 lbs. He was the puppy who never stopped growing, and he reminded me of the dog from Sandlot, the idea of which might be big and scary, but in reality, he was just the biggest cuddle bug ever.