Goodbyes
There's no easy way to say this, but on Monday, I will be saying goodbye forever to my best friend.
On my half birthday, March 30th 2001, my mom picked me and my brother up from school. We drove to a farm where they bred Border Collies, and their female had just had a new litter. This was the day I met the puppy that would go on to become the one of the most important things in my life.
I have so many amazing, cherished memories of my dog. He's always been there for me, never talked back, never judged me. He's kept my secrets and protected me from all of the "evil" ex boyfriends. He was my hiking buddy up until this winter. I think it's safe to say that I've never loved anyone as much as I've loved this dog, and it breaks my heart that I have to say goodbye.
In April of this year, he was rushed to an emergency vet clinic for a ruptured mass in his spleen. When I got the phone call from my mom, I was convinced I would never get to say one last goodbye, kiss him on the top of his head and give him a hug. Fortunately, my parents were willing to cough up the money to save his life, with the prognosis and hopes that he'd have another six months to two years. Unfortunately, just after I got home, he had another mass start causing problems on one of his legs, and over the past two weeks has really cut down his mobility. Today he was completely unable to walk, and I had to carry him outside just so he could go to the bathroom.
It's not an easy decision for my family to make, but it's one that we have to. We can't have him suffering like this, unable to do anything himself. He's a very proud dog, and he hates relying on us to do everything for him, but I believe he's stuck around because he loves us.
I wish he could have given us those two years, and I think he wishes he could to.
Monday evening, after his last car ride, he's going to be buried in our backyard with a tennis ball so he doesn't get bored up in dog heaven.
It's going to hurt, and I'm going to miss him, but I know that he'll be watching over me and with me wherever I am.
On my half birthday, March 30th 2001, my mom picked me and my brother up from school. We drove to a farm where they bred Border Collies, and their female had just had a new litter. This was the day I met the puppy that would go on to become the one of the most important things in my life.
I have so many amazing, cherished memories of my dog. He's always been there for me, never talked back, never judged me. He's kept my secrets and protected me from all of the "evil" ex boyfriends. He was my hiking buddy up until this winter. I think it's safe to say that I've never loved anyone as much as I've loved this dog, and it breaks my heart that I have to say goodbye.
In April of this year, he was rushed to an emergency vet clinic for a ruptured mass in his spleen. When I got the phone call from my mom, I was convinced I would never get to say one last goodbye, kiss him on the top of his head and give him a hug. Fortunately, my parents were willing to cough up the money to save his life, with the prognosis and hopes that he'd have another six months to two years. Unfortunately, just after I got home, he had another mass start causing problems on one of his legs, and over the past two weeks has really cut down his mobility. Today he was completely unable to walk, and I had to carry him outside just so he could go to the bathroom.
It's not an easy decision for my family to make, but it's one that we have to. We can't have him suffering like this, unable to do anything himself. He's a very proud dog, and he hates relying on us to do everything for him, but I believe he's stuck around because he loves us.
I wish he could have given us those two years, and I think he wishes he could to.
Monday evening, after his last car ride, he's going to be buried in our backyard with a tennis ball so he doesn't get bored up in dog heaven.
It's going to hurt, and I'm going to miss him, but I know that he'll be watching over me and with me wherever I am.