Happy Face!

In loving memory of our Mr. Winston whom we loved so much. He is greatly missed and will be in our hearts forever.

Winston came to us a month after we lost our first dog.  I had been browsing the internet just looking at dogs when I saw his picture.  It was of his face lit up by the sun shining on him.  He looked so much like our dog who had just passed and he was the same age as her, I swore he was her brother or something!  I knew he was meant to come to us and I had to meet him.

He was a rescue who's owner had gotten sick when he was 11 years old and her family hadn't wanted him.  The rescue www.abuddyforlife.org had rescued that little guy even though he was a senior.  His foster mom had had him in her care for 7 months.  She drove two hours to bring him to us.  She cried when she left him with us for our "trial period" with him.  I knew he was special and he was meant to be with us.

His fur was so soft, I mean soft like a cotton ball!  I swear he was an angel sent straight to us from heaven to help us deal with the loss of our Casey.  He needed an owner and we needed a fur-baby to take care of.  Despite the fact that we had just lost our dog who was the same age, I had to adopt him even though I knew that because he was a senior he may not be with us long.

Getting some love...

I had him to the vet and had a full work-up so I would know where we stood as far as his health.  His work-up revealed chronic renal failure, due to his age, although he had no symptoms as of then.  We started him on the special food the vet recommended and went from there.

He was a great little guy, who quickly started following me everywhere!  He was so loyal as they all are.  Many months later he started following me even closer even though his back legs had started to lose mucle mass and become weaker so that his back would kind of sink down.  I took him back to the vet to have him checked again and he was started on a liquid vitamin added to his food to help with that.  He was also starting to show other symptoms such as drinking a lot more water.  I knew he had been staying so close to my side that way because he was getting sick.

I had spent a lot of time with him taking walks through our paths in our back yard and sitting under his favorite maple tree soaking up the breeze.  He loved to sit under there and just hang out!  He also loved to go out and wait for my son to get off the bus.

His last month and especially his last two weeks he started to refuse meals and started getting very thin.  Sometimes he'd just stop during walks and look at me and I'd carry him to the house to give him a break.  I made his yearly check up appointment knowing it would probably be his last.  Two days before it he was walking so weakly he'd stop and kept pulling away toward under the trees as if to hide.  As were were walking that day it hit me that he was suffering.  I realized just how thin he had become and how he was struggling.  It was sunny so we sat under his favorite tree for the last time.  I told him I loved him and thanked him for coming to us as I so often had told him.  The day of his appointment was overcast and windy, a miserable day.  I took him for a walk on his favorite paths but he was struggling.  We waited for my son at the bus and I was going to take him in the house because it was cold but he wouldn't go until my son got home.

As we left for the vet the sun peeked through a hole in the clouds so bright.  My son said God was opening up heaven for him!  God bless my "little Buddy"  I know you are resting in God's arms, no longer weak and uncomfortable.  Until we meet again...      

Soaking up the sun

Sunlight streams through window pane
unto a spot on the floor....
then I remember,
it's where you used to lie,
but now you are no more.
Our feet walk down a hall of carpet,
and muted echoes sound....
then I remember,
It's where your paws would joyously abound.
A voice is heard along the road,  
and up beyond the hill,
then I remember it can't be yours....
your golden voice is still.
But I'll take that vacant spot of floor
and empty muted hall
and lay them with the absent voice
and unused dish along the wall.
I'll wrap these treasured memories
in a blanket of my love
and keep them for my best friend
until we meet above.

Borrowed from Rowdey Spaugh's memorial site....