(being a little more detailed than I need to be more so for my self.)
At 12:37pm today I had called my mom to ask her a question. She was on her way home from lunch so we chatted until she got home. When she opened the door she said the dog had gotten sick all over the floor and it was all over the house. I let her go so she could take care of it.
Angel was born February 20, 1997. We had lost our corgi, Buddy, in December 1996 to liver failure. He was there for us when my dad died so his death hit us pretty hard. Buddy was a 4-H dog so we kept in touch with the 4-H group and went to the weekly trainings. We hadn't even thought about getting a new dog when, sometime in April 1997, a family from 4-H said their dog had a litter of puppies who were just old enough to be weaned from their mom. They were small, brown, fluffy and incredibly cute. We took one home on a "trial" basis but Angel was named before we even got home that night. Her mom was a Chocolate Lab mix (we think Irish Setter) and dad was a full bred Golden Retriever. Can you say stubborn?
She was incredibly hard to train but only because she loved to play. She rarely growled and only barked because she wanted attention. When she was old enough I started her in 4-H and kept training her until I was too old to participate. She helped me win a lot of ribbons and provided great companionship.When I went away to college she stayed with mom and has been her best buddy since. It made me feel better that mom wasn't home alone since I was out of the house. She has been healthy most of her life but definitely had some extra weight on her since I was no longer home to help her exercise.
About a year ago Angel stopped eating like she normally does and started limping. Mom took her to the vet and discovered that she had somehow torn a ligament in her back leg. In addition, the vet tested her and found out she was diabetic and that she had kidney stones. Because of the diabetes and her age the vet was hesitant to operate. It seemed to happen so slowly but looking back it was less than a year. Suddenly mom was buying expensive food, giving the dog shots, and carefully arranging her food so that Angel would eat. It was not only taking a toll on mom emotionally but financially as well.
Flash forward to today. Mom called again at 1:26pm to let me know she took the dog to the vet. She called back at 2:17pm to say she had the vet put Angel down. Her kidneys were failing.
I know this was for the best. She was a good dog but she was in pain. Still doesn't make it any easier.
At the same time this was all going on we found out that there was a murder-suicide on the east side today. A man shot his wife and 9 year old child and then turned the gun on himself.
Please take a moment today to think of all the good things in your life. Tell your friends and family you love them. Hug your pet. Stop and look around you. Life is so precious and so wonderful. People and even animals come into our lives and make a lasting impression and learning experience. Be grateful for that.
I still plan on going forward with my New Years resolution. I am going to take my time to mourn the loss of a loved pet but I know this is life. I know good things have come from her being in my life. I am not going to be sad but rather grateful for the imprint she left on this earth.
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