Gabby's Story
On Aug 3, 2011 she came into the shelter as Cookie with a broken leg at just 6 months of age. Her owner couldn't afford to have her leg fixed. We took her in and sent her to medical where she was taken care of and she received the ‘Brave Patient Award’ from an assisting vet hospital. She was so grateful for the help that she was receiving.
On Aug 31st I was taking one of my fosters in for a checkup and was asked to put him in his kennel for the day. Next to him was this bouncy happy teeny tiny thing with a giant green cast on her front leg and I was instantly in love. As luck would have it they were looking for a foster home for her and I immediately raised my hand. I knew she was going to be a failed foster and that was the plan.
When Mike arrived home that night he saw why I had fallen for her and he did the same. Through the next month her personality shined and she talked all through her days. She talked so much that we changed her name to Gabriella so that we could call her Gabby for short. It fit her perfectly.
On Oct 7th she was ours! Picking up on the routines quickly and learning new tricks, Gabby fit right in. With more energy than the other 3 of our dogs combined she entertained us to no end. Especially when picking on the others to try to get them to play with her. At only 3 lbs she thought she was huge!
We had 2 months to bond with her and with every day she became more and more a part of us. We had plans for our future and every step included 4 much loved little dogs. 4 seems like a lot but it was perfect. Unfortunately we weren't meant to have Gabby, our little character, for long.
On Nov 2nd I was up early to pull a long day at work. I do the morning and evening puppy routines and no one ever has a problem eating early, they all love food. So at 3:30am I got the pups up and let them out into the back yard for their morning outing.
While they were out, with the door left open, as usual, I returned to my desk in the animal room, that maybe took a total of 30 seconds. As I sat down I heard a blood curdling screech, a scuffle and a dog bark then whine. The sound made me bolt to the door but it stopped as soon as I got there. I was only on the other side of the room. Thinking they had just surprised a cat and someone got the brunt of it I called them all in.
Immediately 3 came through the door but not Gabby. I ran to get my shoes and a flashlight and then began scouring the large back yard. I thought for sure she was hiding under a bush or one of the orange trees but after 15 minutes of frantically searching....I knew she wasn't there.
I don't ask for help or wake people up in a panic unless I'm sure there is a reason and this time, I was sure. I ran to get Mike to help me look, I knew I was just not seeing her somehow. We searched for 3 hours, all over the back yard, all over the front, up and down the street, on other people’s property...she was just gone!
That way was a horrible day. I couldn't get my brain around it. As the day drew on and after explaining what I had heard more than a few times we did some research and learned what had happened. Ruling out the possibility of Gabby getting out of the yard on her own, a cat attack and coyotes there was only one other possibility and it does make that horrid noise. The Horned Owl.
As the days went by we learned that in the 2 trees just behind our fence line there were some owls living there. A week prior they had attacked and taken another Chihuahua from another house kitty corner from the back of our house. The same event happened to another neighbor a few years back. We also learned what the owls are doing.
Apparently these owls mate at any time of the year; if her belly is full they mate. When they pick a place for mating, any perceived threat that they can fend off they attack. They fly down and screech to stun the threat, attack, kill and then transport up to 100 yards away and drop. Behind the houses there is nothing but overgrown canyons. My heart shattered when I learned this.
I believe knowledge is power and knowing is better than not knowing, but I didn't see what happened to her so every day and even still now, I post lost ads and look at shelter sites just in case she appears. We posted signs around the area and one of them is still up, I just can't bring myself to take it down. I will let nature do it cuz I just can’t.
Gabby had a favorite toy that every night she would bring onto our bed and try desperately to chew the legs off. Later I found it and placed it next to Ashley's box (my shrine of sorts) and as I backed up to see what it looked like where I placed it.....I realized what it was….it was a small stuffed toy owl. How is that for freaky.
Like I said, I still look for her just in case but I know in my heart of hearts she is not on this earth anymore. 3 days after the event I believe she came to tell me she was with my Ashley over Rainbow Bridge by putting weight on my shoulder where she used to sit when I carried her.
I miss her terribly and that sound rings in my head every morning when I let the dogs out. Even though Mike, my hero and the love of my life, built in 2 days a giant enclosure for the dogs to prevent this from ever happening again and to give me a little piece of mind, I still have that moment of ‘what if’ every time.
I love you Gabriella Gabby Gabba Gabbs. Thank you for the memories and the joy that you gave us while you were here. You will be in my heart always.
I wish we had more pictures of her but Halloween was her big debut, it's not meant to be morbid or ironic, it's just the best one that I have :(
On Aug 31st I was taking one of my fosters in for a checkup and was asked to put him in his kennel for the day. Next to him was this bouncy happy teeny tiny thing with a giant green cast on her front leg and I was instantly in love. As luck would have it they were looking for a foster home for her and I immediately raised my hand. I knew she was going to be a failed foster and that was the plan.
When Mike arrived home that night he saw why I had fallen for her and he did the same. Through the next month her personality shined and she talked all through her days. She talked so much that we changed her name to Gabriella so that we could call her Gabby for short. It fit her perfectly.
On Oct 7th she was ours! Picking up on the routines quickly and learning new tricks, Gabby fit right in. With more energy than the other 3 of our dogs combined she entertained us to no end. Especially when picking on the others to try to get them to play with her. At only 3 lbs she thought she was huge!
We had 2 months to bond with her and with every day she became more and more a part of us. We had plans for our future and every step included 4 much loved little dogs. 4 seems like a lot but it was perfect. Unfortunately we weren't meant to have Gabby, our little character, for long.
On Nov 2nd I was up early to pull a long day at work. I do the morning and evening puppy routines and no one ever has a problem eating early, they all love food. So at 3:30am I got the pups up and let them out into the back yard for their morning outing.
While they were out, with the door left open, as usual, I returned to my desk in the animal room, that maybe took a total of 30 seconds. As I sat down I heard a blood curdling screech, a scuffle and a dog bark then whine. The sound made me bolt to the door but it stopped as soon as I got there. I was only on the other side of the room. Thinking they had just surprised a cat and someone got the brunt of it I called them all in.
Immediately 3 came through the door but not Gabby. I ran to get my shoes and a flashlight and then began scouring the large back yard. I thought for sure she was hiding under a bush or one of the orange trees but after 15 minutes of frantically searching....I knew she wasn't there.
I don't ask for help or wake people up in a panic unless I'm sure there is a reason and this time, I was sure. I ran to get Mike to help me look, I knew I was just not seeing her somehow. We searched for 3 hours, all over the back yard, all over the front, up and down the street, on other people’s property...she was just gone!
That way was a horrible day. I couldn't get my brain around it. As the day drew on and after explaining what I had heard more than a few times we did some research and learned what had happened. Ruling out the possibility of Gabby getting out of the yard on her own, a cat attack and coyotes there was only one other possibility and it does make that horrid noise. The Horned Owl.
As the days went by we learned that in the 2 trees just behind our fence line there were some owls living there. A week prior they had attacked and taken another Chihuahua from another house kitty corner from the back of our house. The same event happened to another neighbor a few years back. We also learned what the owls are doing.
Apparently these owls mate at any time of the year; if her belly is full they mate. When they pick a place for mating, any perceived threat that they can fend off they attack. They fly down and screech to stun the threat, attack, kill and then transport up to 100 yards away and drop. Behind the houses there is nothing but overgrown canyons. My heart shattered when I learned this.
I believe knowledge is power and knowing is better than not knowing, but I didn't see what happened to her so every day and even still now, I post lost ads and look at shelter sites just in case she appears. We posted signs around the area and one of them is still up, I just can't bring myself to take it down. I will let nature do it cuz I just can’t.
Gabby had a favorite toy that every night she would bring onto our bed and try desperately to chew the legs off. Later I found it and placed it next to Ashley's box (my shrine of sorts) and as I backed up to see what it looked like where I placed it.....I realized what it was….it was a small stuffed toy owl. How is that for freaky.
Like I said, I still look for her just in case but I know in my heart of hearts she is not on this earth anymore. 3 days after the event I believe she came to tell me she was with my Ashley over Rainbow Bridge by putting weight on my shoulder where she used to sit when I carried her.
I miss her terribly and that sound rings in my head every morning when I let the dogs out. Even though Mike, my hero and the love of my life, built in 2 days a giant enclosure for the dogs to prevent this from ever happening again and to give me a little piece of mind, I still have that moment of ‘what if’ every time.
I love you Gabriella Gabby Gabba Gabbs. Thank you for the memories and the joy that you gave us while you were here. You will be in my heart always.
I wish we had more pictures of her but Halloween was her big debut, it's not meant to be morbid or ironic, it's just the best one that I have :(