TheBanyanTree: Your dog died today.

[Laura Hicks]

Thank you. Thank you for giving a grand old dame her dignity, and for
loving her, and giving her good food to eat, clean water to drink, and a
warm, soft place to sleep.  Thank you for making time in your life to care
for her, and for giving her the dignity of a clean and simple death,
instead of the horrible, miserable, cold, painful death she would have
experienced had she not been rescued.

Four years ago, I adopted an old dog. Not that old, but hard of hearing and
mostly blind, found wandering the highway in rural eastern Kentucky. She
was frightened, and nervous, and prone to bite when startled. She didn't
like hugs, was afraid of the "kissy" noise, and wouldn't let anyone touch
her feet, or comb out her fur.  It took months, but now, she comes and asks
for hugs, leans her head against your face for kisses, and puts her feet in
my hand for nail trims.  She actually loves to get shaved down, though she
still doesn't like to brushed out, I guess she has sensitive skin.

I hadn't actually planned to get an older dog. She's older than we thought
she was when we agreed to adopt her, but I don't regret it at all. She
loves living here. We love having her here. She loves her blankies, and all
the pillows we have on the floor and couches, and the fact that she only
has to be cold when she absolutely, positively, has to go outside to pee in
the winter.  She's never learned "sit" or "down" or "shake", but she did
learn "off", and "out", and "downstairs". She also learned "inside", and
"outside", "suppertime", and "kennel" (which magically results in getting a
treat).  Not bad for an old, unwanted dog, found wandering the backroads of
KY.

When the time comes, I hope to be able to give her the kindest gift, that
same one you've given twice in six months. I hope that when she gets too
worn out, too tired, I will have the strength to take her and let her go
painlessly and with dignity.

Hugs for you, and for your Lab, and for Freya.

Laura
wolfljsh at gmail.com

(sorry sidda - the list is set to scrub pictures from stories to protect
those without high-speed internet access. she was a beautiful girl!)


On Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 12:17 AM, TLW <tlwagener at gmail.com> wrote:

> Anyway. I just thought you might want to know. Your dog died today.