unknown – Sept. 12, 2009

Austin was a good chopper, and a good dog. He was one of us. He was a dog who loved the outdoors… and choppin’, and as a dog he explored the streets of New Orleans, from Mid-City to the French Quarter and down to the Lower 9th. He died, like so many young dogs of his generation, he died before his time.

Needless to say, we are really torn up about this. Austin was constantly fighting mast cell tumors, but always beating them. We were treating him for the cancer, but unfortunately the treatment left his immune system weak and he succumbed to a bad infection. He hung on long enough so that he didn’t die on September 11, knowing the awkwardness it would cause us when we told people “he died on 9-11,” and people would somehow think he was in NYC or Washington D.C. that day… he hung on long enough so that he could share a “death date” with Johnny Cash. I don’t know about you, but I take comfort in that. It’s good knowin’ he’s out there… Austin James. Takin’ ‘er easy for all us sinners.

Good night, sweet prince.