April 14th 2008 2:45 pm
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On Saturday, a tragedy occurred. My husband and I are volunteer chaplains, as was Agape'. I dispatched Max to a call at the Childrens' Receiving Home, where Agape' would have been very effective, so he took her with him. Usually the three of us go out together, so this was an exception. When he got home, he came in the house, forgetting that Agape' was still in the car. It happened to be the first hot day of the year in Sacramento, and it was two hours later, after I asked him where she was, that he remembered.

When we got to her, she was struggling for every breath. We hosed her down in the car, and mom drove Code 3 to the vet. She was a very sick doggy, and had to stay there. Yesterday (Sunday), we went to see her and she recognized us and was up and walking, so we brought her home. We were encouraged during the afternoon, giving her Gatorade and water to try to hydrate her again. We sat up with her all night, and as the night progressed, she regressed. Soon she was vomiting and defecating blood. This morning she laid down on the patio and wouldn't move. We had to carry her to the car to take her back to the vet. He wanted another try to bring her back, so told us to return about 4 p.m. At 10:15 he called and told us to come over, that we needed to talk. We knew then we had lost her.

She recognized us, as her heart rate spiked when we walked in. We spent some time with her and were with her when she was euthanized. Our very special dog -- service dog, therapy dog, chaplaincy dog -- is gone. Our hearts are heavy -- no broken. There is no blame. I know Max feels guilty, but if I had gotten up earlier it wouldn't have happened. But "if's" and blame don't change reality. The reality is that a precious piece of God's creation is gone. She touched so many lives as a therapy and chaplaincy dog that we can't even imagine how many people smiled because they met her.

We covet the thoughts and prayers of other pet owners who know the grief of losing a beloved pet. Please tell every pet owner you know to be sure to check the car when they get out. Agape' never barked or "spoke" to us, so we had no way of knowing she was still there. Not all dogs are barkers. We so regret what she had to go through, but we know that she's now rolling in the thick, green grass of heaven because of the ministry she had on this earth.