ellensy
02-07-2002, 10:19 AM
Just wonderin', does anybody here subscribe to petwarmers? it's a site that sends a twice a week stories in your e-mail. It's free. The stories are of course about pets, usually doggies and kitties. Their stories are really nice and touching. Just wanna share, in case you haven't subscribe yet.
To JOIN (it's free!), send an email to:
[email protected]
Here's a sample of their story...IN HER EYES
I could see it in her eyes.
She knew there was a problem, something wrong that we just couldn't
fix. But she trusted me. She had to. But she didn't have to like it.
I've written about Daisy before. For those of you who may not know,
Daisy is my Old English Sheep Dog. I stress the word "Old."
She has been a part of the family for more than a decade. We adopted
Daisy from the S.P.C.A. when she was about three years old, the very first
day we moved into our house. I mean the very first day. The furniture
wasn't even in place and the boxes were still packed. It was Super Bowl
Sunday and I was determined to finally have a dog. You get a house, you
get a dog.
What a dog she has been.
She had a spirit of independence. Which simply put, meant that you
left her alone when she didn't want to be bothered. If she didn't want to
play, she ignored you. She loved to run, jump and bark whenever we went
sledding in our backyard. She could out run you in an open field but never
let you out of her sight. Even in our home. If you went upstairs so did
she. If one person was up and the other downstairs, she sat at the top of
the stairs to keep an eye on both.
But she is old now. She doesn't run and jump any more. She doesn't
bark much at all. She sleeps so much that we need to stop to check her
breathing.
I'll be honest with you. I'm hoping to find her not breathing one
day. The alternative is tearing my heart out.
Daisy's arthritis is starting to take its toll. We spend $50 a month
on pills for her to ease her pain and keep her heart pumping. Today, I had
to lift her into and out of the car to get her to the doctor's office.
She stumbles a lot, falls when she tries to jump down off the couch
and in a moment that pains me and yet is so wonderfully beautiful, she
looks at me with those eyes and begs for help.
She will attempt to jump up on the couch and only manage to get her
front half up. Laying part way on the couch she turns her half-cocked head
back toward me and sighs. Those eyes say, "Come on. Don't make me beg
you. Help me."
As soon as I get behind her, she braces herself and together we manage
to finish the task. Usually she stays in the exact spot she falls into and
once again sighs. This is tough stuff when you're more than 14 years old.
Her breathing is heavy at times, to a point of distraction when I am
working or reading. The heavy panting is loud and continuous but I keep
reminding myself that the silence will one day be even more difficult to
bear.
She is unable at times to hold it when she needs to go out and our
back door area needs to be covered in heavy plastic because of it.
All of this prompted me to ask Doc if I would ever have to make the
decision to put her to sleep. He replied, "When she can't stand any more
and she is messing up the house. The arthritis affects the nerves and will
prevent her from functioning properly."
I sighed this time as she stood on the examining table and looked at
me with those eyes.
I don't know if this is fair or not. Perhaps some of you might find
this all foolish and maybe even sinful, but I pray to God about her. I
know God has more important things to take care of, but I've been asking
Him to let her die in her sleep because I can't do it.
At this very moment tears are streaming down my face even writing
about it. Oh, I know I would if I had to, for her sake. But she's sitting
right outside my door at the top of the stairs. Yes, my wife is downstairs
and I am here and she's looking at me with those eyes.
She knows that something's wrong.
"God, I'll clean up after her and I'll lift her up onto the couch.
I'll even carry her up the stairs if I must. But You tell her that our
time together is coming to an end. You're the One who created her... with
those eyes."
-- Bob Perks
To JOIN (it's free!), send an email to:
[email protected]
Here's a sample of their story...IN HER EYES
I could see it in her eyes.
She knew there was a problem, something wrong that we just couldn't
fix. But she trusted me. She had to. But she didn't have to like it.
I've written about Daisy before. For those of you who may not know,
Daisy is my Old English Sheep Dog. I stress the word "Old."
She has been a part of the family for more than a decade. We adopted
Daisy from the S.P.C.A. when she was about three years old, the very first
day we moved into our house. I mean the very first day. The furniture
wasn't even in place and the boxes were still packed. It was Super Bowl
Sunday and I was determined to finally have a dog. You get a house, you
get a dog.
What a dog she has been.
She had a spirit of independence. Which simply put, meant that you
left her alone when she didn't want to be bothered. If she didn't want to
play, she ignored you. She loved to run, jump and bark whenever we went
sledding in our backyard. She could out run you in an open field but never
let you out of her sight. Even in our home. If you went upstairs so did
she. If one person was up and the other downstairs, she sat at the top of
the stairs to keep an eye on both.
But she is old now. She doesn't run and jump any more. She doesn't
bark much at all. She sleeps so much that we need to stop to check her
breathing.
I'll be honest with you. I'm hoping to find her not breathing one
day. The alternative is tearing my heart out.
Daisy's arthritis is starting to take its toll. We spend $50 a month
on pills for her to ease her pain and keep her heart pumping. Today, I had
to lift her into and out of the car to get her to the doctor's office.
She stumbles a lot, falls when she tries to jump down off the couch
and in a moment that pains me and yet is so wonderfully beautiful, she
looks at me with those eyes and begs for help.
She will attempt to jump up on the couch and only manage to get her
front half up. Laying part way on the couch she turns her half-cocked head
back toward me and sighs. Those eyes say, "Come on. Don't make me beg
you. Help me."
As soon as I get behind her, she braces herself and together we manage
to finish the task. Usually she stays in the exact spot she falls into and
once again sighs. This is tough stuff when you're more than 14 years old.
Her breathing is heavy at times, to a point of distraction when I am
working or reading. The heavy panting is loud and continuous but I keep
reminding myself that the silence will one day be even more difficult to
bear.
She is unable at times to hold it when she needs to go out and our
back door area needs to be covered in heavy plastic because of it.
All of this prompted me to ask Doc if I would ever have to make the
decision to put her to sleep. He replied, "When she can't stand any more
and she is messing up the house. The arthritis affects the nerves and will
prevent her from functioning properly."
I sighed this time as she stood on the examining table and looked at
me with those eyes.
I don't know if this is fair or not. Perhaps some of you might find
this all foolish and maybe even sinful, but I pray to God about her. I
know God has more important things to take care of, but I've been asking
Him to let her die in her sleep because I can't do it.
At this very moment tears are streaming down my face even writing
about it. Oh, I know I would if I had to, for her sake. But she's sitting
right outside my door at the top of the stairs. Yes, my wife is downstairs
and I am here and she's looking at me with those eyes.
She knows that something's wrong.
"God, I'll clean up after her and I'll lift her up onto the couch.
I'll even carry her up the stairs if I must. But You tell her that our
time together is coming to an end. You're the One who created her... with
those eyes."
-- Bob Perks