Today I got a call that I knew would come, but didn't want it to.
My old Lab Angel had literally fallen, and couldn't get up.
We moved a couple of weeks ago, and don't have a fence here yet, so our dogs and cats are still at the old house, which is only about 6 miles away. I've gone over there everyday to feed, water, and check on them.
Angel was 12 years old, and that's getting up there for an old, fat dog. She had been unsteady on her feet for quite some time now, but was okay otherwise.
For some reason, this week I've had a bad feeling about her. We are leaving on vacation tomorrow, going to Orlando, and our next door neighbors were going to look after the menagerie, since they know them all pretty well.
Anyway, the neighbor called today, and said Angel was down in the backyard, and couldn't get up. They thought her leg was broken, but the vet said she'd had a stroke. He said he'd do whatever I wanted, but it was obvious her quality of life wasn't good.
So, as I knelt and held her head, my face right in front of hers, he eased her suffering.
It's one of the worst things to have to do, but to me, an even worse thing is the thought of waiting in the other room while your faithful friend has strange people as her last sight.
It was just me, and the vet who has seen her since she was a puppy, in 1993.
Hopefully now, she's running and swimming and retrieving entire trees from the lake like she loved to do. (yes, entire 10-15 foot trees she could bring back to shore)
I wish everyone who loved dogs could have had one as good as Angel was.
Here she is as an older lady
What a suck-ass way to start a vacation, huh? I'm just glad that it happened while I was still here. I wouldn't have wanted her to not have family with her, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted the neighbors to have to handle something like this, either.
I'm going to have to step away from the computer now, as it's getting a bit blurry....must be my monitor or something............
Just felt like I had to share something about her.
My old Lab Angel had literally fallen, and couldn't get up.
We moved a couple of weeks ago, and don't have a fence here yet, so our dogs and cats are still at the old house, which is only about 6 miles away. I've gone over there everyday to feed, water, and check on them.
Angel was 12 years old, and that's getting up there for an old, fat dog. She had been unsteady on her feet for quite some time now, but was okay otherwise.
For some reason, this week I've had a bad feeling about her. We are leaving on vacation tomorrow, going to Orlando, and our next door neighbors were going to look after the menagerie, since they know them all pretty well.
Anyway, the neighbor called today, and said Angel was down in the backyard, and couldn't get up. They thought her leg was broken, but the vet said she'd had a stroke. He said he'd do whatever I wanted, but it was obvious her quality of life wasn't good.
So, as I knelt and held her head, my face right in front of hers, he eased her suffering.
It's one of the worst things to have to do, but to me, an even worse thing is the thought of waiting in the other room while your faithful friend has strange people as her last sight.
It was just me, and the vet who has seen her since she was a puppy, in 1993.
Hopefully now, she's running and swimming and retrieving entire trees from the lake like she loved to do. (yes, entire 10-15 foot trees she could bring back to shore)
I wish everyone who loved dogs could have had one as good as Angel was.
Here she is as an older lady
What a suck-ass way to start a vacation, huh? I'm just glad that it happened while I was still here. I wouldn't have wanted her to not have family with her, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted the neighbors to have to handle something like this, either.
I'm going to have to step away from the computer now, as it's getting a bit blurry....must be my monitor or something............
Just felt like I had to share something about her.
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