What a sad time this is at our house, and yes, I'm wallowing in self-pity for a day or two...
we came home Wednesday night, late, and found our big old, sweet old puppy dog, dead in the backyard. Granted, she was a hundred years old, a dinosaur, a bit of a relic... but we're still really, really sad.
Lady was all goodness and kindness and such a big presence in our lives!
She lived to make us happy, which she did incredibly well, and I hope I made her life half as happy as she made mine...
Ladybug, 2003
It's a really great story, how Lady came to live with us, and I'll try to keep it brief...
Lady Comes Home, Chapter One
"She's really nice for a dog, but she can't stay"
These were my husband's words when I finally told him what the surprise was that I'd gotten him, when he came home from work on Saturday, December 7th, 2002. I'd been working with a gal who raised puppies for Leader Dogs, and I had mentioned I really wanted an adult Labrador Retriever, and when Lady was left at the Leader Dogs, she called me. Lady's owner had died, and the lady's family thought she'd make a great Leader Dog, so they gave her to the Leader Dogs. There was a question of her having Parvo, and she was too old to be a Leader Dog, so Leader Dogs surrendered Lady to the Flint Humane Society, and that's when my friend called me... she said, "There's a really great Lab up in Flint, and someone needs to go get her... I thought you would be interested".
I didn't tell my husband (because I knew what he'd say), and on Saturday morning, my daughter Corey and I waited for John to leave for work, and we headed straight to Flint. I recall Corey saying to me, en route to see Lady, "What do you think she looks like?", to which I answered, "Well, I think she's probably about 65 pounds and yellow... not sure why I think that, I just do"... and when we first saw Lady, she was outside, peeing like a boy dog, and she was pitch black, weighing in at about 90 pounds. NOT what I was expecting!
They put Corey and I in an adoption room with Lady, and Lady immediately went over to Corey and put her enormous square head in Corey's lap... Corey looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said "I just LOVE her, mom!"... and that was that. Lady had adopted us. I remember loading her into my car thinking, "I sure hope I don't live to regret this"... and we headed home.
For the remainder of the weekend, my husband spoke not another word to me besides, "She's really nice for a dog, but she can't stay". To which I simply did not respond.
I worked all day Monday in the Operating Room, and was not about to drive back to Flint that night, so she stayed on till Tuesday. After work Tuesday, I decided to surprise John again, and took Lady to see him at his work. Everyone there fell all over themselves talking about how pretty Lady was and what a great dog she was, and I could see my husband slowly becoming kind of like a proud papa.
We took her home that night and gave her a bath, and she was incredibly well behaved... she didn't fight it, she just stood in the tub and let us hose her down and bathe her. Next thing I know, my husband says to me, "OK, she can stay, but never in our bedroom!" I was more than fine with that.
Little while later, I look in our bedroom, and at the end of the bed, is John's robe on the floor, folded in half and there was Lady, lying right on top of it. I must've looked pretty surprised, and John said to me, "OK, well... " he stuttered, "never on the bed! OK?!?!?"
Needless to say she eventually won a spot on the bed with us, and for years we slept with that great big dog hogging our bed, and we loved every minute of it, until she hurt herself and couldn't jump down any longer. After that, her dog bed was at the foot of our bed, until Thursday morning. We loved hearing her snoring like a sailor... it was a very comforting sound... we knew she was alive. And as she got older and older, (the vet thought she was between eight and ten years old in 2002 when we adopted her); that snoring at night became more and more important to hear.
Her bed has been put away, and her remains have been cremated. She made us better human beings by adopting us, and we will miss her every single day. Stay tuned... if you like, and one day real soon, I'll tell you the story about the four thousand dollar rescue dog... it'll be Chapter Two.
Thank you for reading all the way down to here... I really appreciate it... this is cathartic for me and necessary... I hope I didn't bore you too much!
With a heavy heart and lots of tears,
xoxo,
Kathy
PS: Thank you SO much to all of you who have so kindly and graciously written to me with condolences... what a great community of loving friends I have!
so,so sorry to hear about your loss. thanks for telling your story. she will remain in your hearts.
Posted by: tina | June 26, 2009 at 06:23 PM
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about Lady :( I know from experience that it's very hard to lose a pet who has been a member of your family for a long time. Lots of love to you.
The story of how she became part of your family is lovely - I'll look forward to chapter two :)
Posted by: Aveen | June 27, 2009 at 07:21 AM
I'm very sorry to read about your loss Kathy. This is a great photo. Ladybug looks like a regal matriarch, and I'm glad John let her reign in your home.
Posted by: Jane Farr | June 27, 2009 at 09:45 AM
What a wonderful story. I am so sad for you, I have felt the same pain of losing a dear pet. I am sending you healing thoughts. I'm glad you have memories to comfort you.
I'll be looking forward to the next chapter.
Posted by: Jane | June 27, 2009 at 09:51 AM
I'm so very sorry, Kathy. Please know that I cry for Lady, too. My friend's losses are my losses. I know she'll always be in your heart.
Posted by: Diane | June 27, 2009 at 12:26 PM
My thoughts go out to you and your husband in losing Lady! But what a wonderful story and what a special addition to the family she had been!
Posted by: Seth | June 27, 2009 at 09:50 PM
My condolences to you and your family. What a wonderful story! And such a beauty!
Posted by: Julie | June 28, 2009 at 01:33 AM
I'm so sorry about Ladybug. It's hard to lose a beloved pet....I know all about that.
Posted by: Phyllis Brandon | June 28, 2009 at 09:08 AM
Oh, Kathy, I am so sorry to hear that Ladybug passed away. It is such a sad time. What a sweet dog she was. I loved her.
Posted by: katie seabrook | June 29, 2009 at 11:58 AM
I'm so sorry to hear that you've lost your beloved fur friend. It's such a hard thing to go through. Thanks so much for the story :) It's a love story, that's for sure.
Posted by: Kristin | June 29, 2009 at 11:37 PM
Oh Girlfriend, I am so sorry you have lost your lovely Ladybug. That is so hard, even when we know they are old and going to go, it still feels too soon to lose them. She was lucky to have had such a good final home and lots of love at the end of her life. Sending you big hugs as you work through this hard time.
Big love too...
Posted by: kim mailhot | June 30, 2009 at 06:57 PM
I just found your blog and felt compelled to add my condolences. you are right, they do make us better humans. Dogs are the only beings I know of that love us day in and day out completely unconditionally. Caterina
Posted by: caterina giglio | June 30, 2009 at 07:21 PM
That was a beautiful blog. Thanks for sharing, Kathy.
Posted by: Sandra Nichols | July 01, 2009 at 08:41 AM
sending you love. xoxo
Posted by: michelle ward | July 01, 2009 at 08:47 AM
Oh Kathy,
I'm so sorry, you've written a beautiful story and loving tribute...
x..x
steph
Posted by: Stephanie | July 01, 2009 at 01:22 PM
Hey Sweets,
She was a lucky dog!
I count having a friend like you among my many blessings.
Much Love
Dave
Posted by: Dave | July 01, 2009 at 05:38 PM
Hi Kathy - I'm so sad for you all, but what a great life you gave her, and she you - lovely story, thank you.
Posted by: Cathy G | July 02, 2009 at 04:52 AM
Wow Kathy, I am so very sorry about losing your Ladybug. I am sitting here in tears as I write this. Having lost one 14 year old dog to heart failure (a pound puppy when we got her) and now owning 2 dogs from the Humane Society (litter mates) I totally understand what you are going through. All too well.
That was very kind (and brave) of you to take in an older dog. I hesitate to do that because you know that your time together will be even shorter than if you get a puppy (well, usually anyways). Everyone goes for the puppies, but it takes a very special person to adopt an older dog. I am not surprised that you would be that special one!
(((hugs)))
. . . Kim O
Posted by: Kim O | July 02, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Man, that's tough. It really is. It's such a loss. Your love for her is very evident. Going forward may there be joy in the midst of clouds.
Posted by: Owen | July 02, 2009 at 12:44 PM
Oh what a wonderful story. So beautiful. I understand the unconditional love of our precious furry friends... as I am writing this, my 2 beagles... ages 14 and 11 have followed me and are now snoring blissfully. My heart is filled with the love I know you felt for your sweet Lady.
xox Jill
Posted by: Jill | July 08, 2009 at 12:31 PM
This is a beautiful story. We lost our 8 year old golden retriever Mollie to cancer few years back, so I very much empathize with your sadness. I hope you are taking good care of yourselves right now.
Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting. Your work is exquisite. I will come back again and again.
Posted by: Laura | July 12, 2009 at 03:16 PM
Kathy, I hope you're doing better. We lost a kitty member of the family about the same time. (See my readers, page down a little to Sealy) Animals are priceless. I'm not writing to bring you down but to check on you and hope you're doing better.
Posted by: Diane | July 12, 2009 at 05:30 PM
Kathy, thank you for leaving a comment on my blog via Laurelines. I had to comment on this post as we just found out our beloved dog, Gigi, has a brain tumor this weekend.
I am so sorry for your loss and know how painful this must be. Our stories are very similar of how we came to be the lucky owners of such special beings.
I love your work and will be back.
Take good care.
Posted by: Dana | July 13, 2009 at 12:24 AM
A great story, and a really beautiful dog...I can imagine how hard this loss is for you. I have a 13 year old Welsh Corgi with a medical condition called megaesophagus. I dread the day that I have to say goodbye.
Thank you for sharing your love and your grief.
Michelle
Posted by: Michelle Lopez/maginthat | July 27, 2009 at 10:13 AM