Make an emergency contact card for your pets. And, please make arrangements now for their care in case something happens to you! Don't let your companion end up in a shelter or worse...
http://www.prettyhazel.com/EmergencyContacts.htm
Thank you to all who have sent inspiring messages and condolences to me and mom. I'm learning my way around the Bridge, and like mom says, I have endless sunshine now! Mom's trying to thank each of you, and started sending thanks today. If you didn't receive thanks today, please know that we are still grateful for your friendship, support and kind words and mom will send your personal thanks soon. Mom's still pretty emotional about letting me go, but I tell her 'baby steps'. We had a long, good life together and I'm up here making sure that everything will be ready when it's time for her to join me!
My heart has gone to the Bridge. This morning, while I held her frail little 2 lb. body in my arms, she went to live with her dad in Heaven. If there is any comfort in this at all, it is that she was Twiggy to the end. Dr. Ashley gave her a tranquilizer before she gave her the shot to end her life, and she said that the amount she gave Twiggy put most larger dogs under right away. But, not my Princess – she stayed with me until her little body could no longer keep up with her spirit.
My life is so richer for having her here with me. Back when she was young and healthy and it was just me and her, when I came home from work I would walk down the hall to my bedroom, to find her sitting on the side of the bed, front paws precisely together, and her back end wiggling with so much excitement the bed shook. That is the image I have seen in my mind since I got the news yesterday. She knew she did not need to meet me at the door, that I would go to her. And that is how she lived her life – on her terms.
I miss her so much but I will celebrate the life we had together. Because of Twiggy I was able to adopt three more pups and have them enrich our lives further. I'm not sure she saw it that way, though.
Also, let me say thank you to all who have left gifts for Twiggy and messages for me. Those of you who have been through this know how much they mean, and those of you who haven't - well, I hope you never know. You all met her late in her life - oh, the fun you would have had if you had known her when she was young and healthy. She had such attitude, but at the same time I knew a deep, unwavering love.
The Bridge will never be the same again, and I hope they can fully appreciate that. And, I know when it’s my time to join her she’ll be waiting for me, front paws precisely together, back-end wiggling in excitement. Until then, my Sunshine.
Twiggy fell off the porch New Year's Eve. We thought she would be okay after some pain meds and rest, but she's continued to get worse, and has been in an incubator and on a drip at Dr. Ashley's office since Monday. I thought it was a good sign that she was mad about the drip and having to spend the night there, but she's not responding to the treatment. Dr. Ashley called today to say it's time. I'm meeting her at her office tomorrow morning to say goodbye to my Princess and send her to be with her dad in Heaven. My heart is breaking. I've always said she was my heart and now it's being ripped out of me. I can't imagine my life without her. She fought so hard in the past, Dr. Ashley always said she had nine lives. I guess we've used them all up. Her dad did the same thing to us - he died from cancer in 1999. I don't know how many times hospice called us all together to prepare us for his passing only to have him wake up the next day and want crawfish ettouffe. The day he died, he told my mom in the morning he wanted crawfish for supper. By noon he was in a coma and never cwoke up. The same thing with Twiggy - I thought when I left her at Dr. Ashley's Monday night that once she got fluids in her, she'd be back to her old self. I just knew she would beat this, again. And to have her go after not being home for a week is even harder. I left her there because I thought it was best for her. Now I'm second guessing as to whether I should have brought her home at night and dropped her back off in the morning. She really hates being away from me and home, and that could have contributed to her not trying this time. I stopped by there last night to hug on her, but maybe I should have taken her home with me. Dr. Ashley has been wonderful. I know in my heart she's the reason Twiggy has lived as long as she has. I know this won't be easy for her, either. She's fought so hard for Twiggy. I love you, my brown-eyed girl.
The Dog Show: Who's Your Mama?
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