March 23, 2011
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A Puppy Passes
This morning my 14 1/2 year old beagle, Minuette, had to be put down.
She was very old, and she was very sick. I know it was the best decision, but I’ll admit I’m incredibly sad. I wish I had been there with her last night, and had a chance to say goodbye.
She wasn’t the BEST of dogs – we didn’t know then what we know now about obedience training, but she was my best friend for a very long time. I got her when I was 10 years old as a result of forcing my mom to keep a promise she had made to me years before (that I’m sure she thought I’d forgotten!)
I remember going to pick her up, this tiny little thing, my favorite out of the whole litter. We had spent such a long time picking out names, and Minuette suited her. We bundled her up in a little blanket with sheep on it, and put her in a basket, and on the drive home the poor little thing got VERY car sick.
When I was losing my hearing, and dealing with migraines and TMJ and teenage angst all at the same time, she was my companion. I lost a lot of friends, and she would hang out with me, and play with me, and listen to everything I needed to say and would lick tears off my face. One year in high school when I was very sick for a very long time, she curled up on the couch and watched whatever I wanted to on TV with me.
She protected our house from everything that thought of moving around it, by barking ferociously at anything suspicious from chipmunks, to mailmen, to visitors and family. She made our house a landmark on the street.
She HATED the snow, especially when it was taller than she was!
And she had a favorite chair. Here she is recuperating.
These aren’t the best photos of her, but they are the only ones I have on this computer.
She lived a long life, and because I’ve been away so much towards the end of her life, I mostly only have good memories of her. I’ve never lost a pet before, so this is a new type of grief for me, but I’m getting through it. Luna and Andrew have been so helpful and understanding. This is a new type of Crisis of Life, which requires a new type of Crisis of Life project:
It’s so bright and cheerful, I figure it can’t do anything but make me perkier. I’ve been saving this pattern for a long time, and now just seems like the right time to make it.
I love you Minuette, and I’m glad you’re not in pain anymore. I miss you more than I thought I would, even from this far away.
Comments (1)
Losing a pet is always hard and when we have to make the decision about them it is even harder. That is one of the hardest parts of owning a pet….doing what is best for it. Blessings and I’m glad you have Luna to help you through. (and of course Andrew!)