Rutland- Luke, our beloved 3 year old pit bull, passed away suddenly on October 2, 2025 with his mom and dad Erika and Paul by his side. He was born in New Hampshire on May 4, 2022 on “Star Wars Day,” (May the Fourth). Luke was one of 12 puppies whose birth mom was abandoned on the side of the road in Texas and was rescued by Dawgs Fight Back Rescue and brought to New Hampshire. Right from the time he came home at 8 weeks old, everyone knew he was a complete goofball. He thought he was human, sitting upright in chairs, and sitting at the kitchen table, just like everyone else. He was very playful and affectionate and thought he was a lap dog, even as he grew to 70 pounds. He would lay on your lap all day if he could.
Luke was such a little character and definitely did not fit into the typical pit bull stereotype. He was “personality plus.” He loved to play hide and seek daily since he was a baby. Although he always hid in the same spot behind the couch, he still thought he was the master of being sneaky. Everyone he played with would pretend they could not see him, and then he would jump out and “surprise” them. He loved to play in the snow, eat snow, and help open everyone’s Christmas presents during the holidays because he thought they were all for him. He also loved to “help” decorate the Christmas tree by climbing the step stool while you were already on it. You could always find him sunbathing on the deck or at the front door. Lukey was a silly boy that was terrified of puddles, but loved to swim in the ocean. Everyone who ever met him, immediately fell in love with him, as he was such a handsome boy and so goofy and loving. He had zero sense of personal space and would sit on anyone and everyone’s lap. He loved to play and wrestle with other dogs, especially his best friend Scruffy. Above all, Luke loved to snuggle and cuddle with those he loved.
Luke was a very smart boy. He was fully potty trained at just 10 weeks old and learned how to ring a bell when he wanted to go outside. Erika and Paul told themselves that he would be crate trained at night and not sleep in the bed until he was older. That lasted only one night as Luke was just so cute and cuddly. At just eight weeks old, he never had an accident in the bed. There were many times that Luke was too smart for his own good. He taught himself how to open doors in the house and how to quietly sneak chicken off the counter without getting caught.
One of Luke’s favorite pastimes was to “watch tv,” which meant looking out the window and watching the neighborhood children playing. The kids would run back and forth in front of the house just to watch Lukey run from one window of the house to the next. He also loved photo bombing the Amazon delivery man when they would take photos of packages on the front porch. Luke had many nick names and responded to all of them -Lukey, bubbas, moo cow, chicken, chicken leg, baby, and sweet boy.
Lukey was a very outgoing boy, who was happy to go to work with Erika here at Nordgren Funeral Home. The funeral home was the ultimate place for him to get the zoomies. He would run as fast as he could in the open chapels. He would greet families at the door with a warm smile on his face. With him thinking he was human, he would sit at the executive desk in the office on the chair and would even pray on the kneeler in front of caskets.
Luke is survived and greatly missed by his loving parents Erika Mangsen and Paul Druin; his grand parents Katherine and Bradley Lehman; his aunties and uncles Monika, Matthew, Jenna, and Derek; and countless friends, both human and canine alike.
Lukey was diagnosed with Mega Esophagus (ME) in July 2024. This meant that he could not eat or drink normally. The average lifespan for a dog with this diagnosis is 1-3 months, but he was an immense fighter and survived 15 months. He never let his condition slow him down or keep him from being who he was. He had to eat each meal in a specially designed Bailey high chair, which he immediately took to from his very first meal in it. He also had to sleep with a “donut” around his neck to help support his esophagus. Caring for Luke through his ME was a labor of love and he truly was like a baby who needed to be burped for 20 minutes after each meal. While some people would think of this as a burden, Luke’s family felt it was special time that brought them closer and cemented an indescribable and unbreakable loving connection. At the end of each day he would get cozy under the blankets and snuggle in bed and fall asleep in Paul or Erika’s arms.
Ultimately, Lukey’s mega esophagus won the battle. On Thursday, October 2, 2025, Luke aspirated into his lungs because of his ME, and passed away at VEG in Shrewsbury. Luke’s entire family is completely shattered by this immense loss. Although he had only three short years, those years were filled with nothing but unconditional love and joy. His memory will live on through us all, and he will forever be our perpetual light that shines.
Attached in the photo gallery, you will be able to see Luke’s personality plus coming through. Please leave a condolence message or happy memory of Luke by clicking the guestbook link.