Saying Goodbye To My Sweetie

Its not been too pleasant these last 2 months. Work keeps me out of my head. Last week my little dog got sick. No nothing easy...lymphoma. We tried steroids, and they helped...for a week. Yesterday her lymph nodes took off again. Last night she wouldn't eat and had trouble walking. This morning she could stand assisted and had trouble breathing... It was time.

I said my last goodbye to my old lady Sweetie this morning. Fifteen good years! What a great quirky little dog. (I'm going to go on about her now. So if you aren't into sentimental mush...check out here.)

She was supposed to be an aquarium filter... It was freezing cold and she was part of an SPCA outing. A little skinny thing, with the biggest ears I'd ever seen on a beagle! All I could think of was the Taco Bell dog. She was shivering so fast, I had to speak to her and scratch get little head. I went about my shopping, but couldn't get her out of my head. We already had big Charlotte dog. I figured it this way- Nabal wouldn't mind because she looked kinda like a chihuahua... I was right.

They'd found her wandering a country road in 9 degree weather! She'd been mistreated somewhere along her 3 years of life. She was scared of men, men with caps and hoodies. She would head to a closet before I heard the thunder. She was near sighted, so I head to speak sometimes before she knew it was me. The sight of a gun or plastic bag sent her running to hide.
Everyone told me she had an odd look...heck, so do I! As she got older general consensus was she looked like a fox in her face. When she got snaggel toothed, she just got cuter!

She loved car rides! I'd feel bad in the summer to leave her home, she just looked so dejected... She followed me everywhere. Charlotte was her best bud, though one weighed 55 pounds and the other 20. Sweetie almost died defending Charlotte from a pack of stray dogs. She was a valiant little pup, though I knew her to be practically scared of her own shadow on a normal day.

We had a string of names for her: First it was Chalupa Lou. She was so good hearted, Sweetie stuck. Until people thought I was calling them sweetie... I'm public she was 'Weetie' or 'Weedles' I'm sure I'll think of a few more by and by...

Her last car ride...she roused herself to watch a passing shadow. She got that look when the the sun hit her face, that old familiar look. Then she'd struggle to breath, and it was still time. I hoped she'd just take her last breath and I wouldn't have to do the final deed. For a year or so she's been deaf (but could still hear a piece of food hit the floor!) on to of poor sight. It was time, that still didn't make it any easier. She runs free now! With her buddies Charlotte, Jack, Mr. Whiskers and more she'll be meeting right about now.

She will be missed. My long time friend.

I haven't told Nabal. Last week he wanted me to not to bring her back home. Last night he was telling me she was going down hill, which I already knew. I told him we were going to the vet in the morning. His reply was that I had taken her there last week... Maybe it is as sentimental as he can get...

I'd kinda hoped we would have made it much longer... I'll miss her silliness in the sun, but she'll never hurt again.