A wonderful dog has died. Ninja belonged to close friends of mine in California. She was sixteen. Pretty old for a lab mix.
After months of trying to keep her
alive by shear force of will, Ninja's owners finally realized that
nothing else could be done. You could look in her eyes and see that her
heart still wanted to bark at dolphins from the bow of a kayak. Or
chase a ball into the ocean all day long. Or keep the coyotes at bay
from her spot on the front deck. But her body finally gave
up. Handfeeding her when she couldn't eat, cleaning up her
moments of incontinence, and carrying her up stairs were no longer
enough. Today, after her family said their good byes the vet put
her down.
I wrote a eulogy
of sorts for her over a year ago after a visit. It was clear that she
was declining then and it made me sad to think what it would be like
without her to greet me like a long lost friend anymore.
Today the phone call came.
5 comments:
Oh I'm so sorry... I've had to put animals down before, it's never easy. But it's best to know when it's time, then letting them suffer.
~Lily
As the mother of a 12 (or there about) yr old lab mix, I am feeling a saddness in my soul. Tell your friends that I am indeed sad for their loss. She looks like such a sweet soul. They will never forget and I just hope that they realize that they were very good parents to Ninja and they were so lucky to have each other, if only for a short time. Anne
I'm still grieving for Mandy. I am beginning to think some part of me always will. Maybe it isn't so bad that she died while she was young, but I could have used some more time with her.
I love all creatures, but there's something about a dog's ability to find a deep warm spot in your heart. To this day I still grieve for Buffy, Ed, Billie, and especially Tag. A. Long. I am sure I will see them in heaven.
Rest well, Ninja.
I am very sorry for your friend's loss. This is the third beloved dog I have seen lost this week. All have been very old and had wonderful, full lives. 16 is very old for a lab mix!
xoxo
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