I skipped last week’s post as I needed some time to recover from a yucky weekend. We made the hard decision to say goodbye to our snuggly Lucky dog. We were letting her outside almost every hour during the day, and Scott was up with her every few hours at night. We came to the conclusion that she probably wasn’t going to get any better, and in fact, she would only get worse.
The days, hours, and minutes leading up to the moment were filled with such sadness and guilt. Most pet owners who have had to make this decision know exactly how we felt. We did speak with the vet beforehand, to confirm there wasn’t anything else that we could do, and she advised that as our pets get older, sometimes it’s better to let them go with their dignity, then force them to live to the point where they are not themselves anymore.
We agreed with her, and after she had put a catheter in Lucky’s leg, she told us that based on Lucky’s breath, she believed that she had kidney disease, and we were truly making the right decision. Once she said that, it all fell into place...the multiple trips outside (+ accidents inside the house); eating so much food, yet losing weight; plus drinking a ton of water all of the time. The guilt eased a bit with that news.
As Scott held Lucky’s body, and I cradled her head, whispering alternating “I love you” and “shhh” in her ears, the vet administered the fatal dose that stopped our sweet dog’s heart. We knew the moment she was gone, and then the vet let us be alone with her so we could say our final farewells.
The whole morning was surreal, and we’ve been slowly adjusting to not having her in our lives. When we said goodbye to Spanky and Darla, there was always at least one dog waiting for us back at home. This time, there was no furry friend to greet us at the door. In the past week, I’ve gathered up all of her belongings. I will donate what I can to the local vet office/humane society, and the rest we will keep for the next fur baby who comes into our life. We’ve agreed to take a break, and let our hearts heal from this trauma.
This girl was MY dog. Eight months after we sold her as a puppy, we brought her back into our lives, rescuing her from a home that clearly did not love and respect her. When we saw her again at eight months old, she was cowering in a corner of a room, and wouldn’t come to anyone. After 30 minutes, she finally came to me, and snuggled into my side, shaking the entire time.
I am still so upset that she had six months of her life where she was not loved like she should have been. It altered her personality and made her incredibly needy, and naughty, until she finally calmed down in her senior years. I believe she even forgave Ava for being mean to her when Ava was a little girl. In the last year or so, Ava always wanted to walk and play with Lucky, so I’m so grateful that they were able to mend that gap. G was always nice to her, so she tolerated him much more, even as a baby.
Lucky was only 4 weeks old in this pic...so sweet
Always trying to say hello!
Same pose, just one year later!
Lucky, Spanky, and Darla - posing for the treat!
Lucky and Darla, always together
Lucky (laying down, Darla (sitting up), Spanky (standing on two legs) - love this so much!
My snuggly girl always loved being under a blanket
So close to actually being on her bed...
Lucky and Bill (the Roomba) became good friends
We knew her end was near, so we snuggled with Lucky as much as possible in the last few months
She loved being close to the fire
RIP, my sweet girl. You were loved so very much.
Lucky ~ 07.15.2004 - 01.12.2019
On a happier note, I reconnected with a college friend, and we spent some quality time together over the weekend. Plus, Ava was in her first band concert, and the fifth graders did a fantastic job. We were all so impressed with how good they sounded.
Being goofy before her concert....crazy hair!
During warm-up, we were able to sneak in and take some pics
Trumpet section solo!
Full band
This school district places equal weight on academics, arts, and athletics, which I think is wonderful. I hope Ava chooses to stay with music, as she’ll feed into a band that has received national recognition. I can’t wait to see where she goes with this!
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