Back in early 2005 I got a puppy, female mixed breed (Aussie shepherd, Kelpie, and border collie) from a farm in Ferndale California, to those of you that are not familiar with the breeds this means the mutt was a herding dog and completely ocd about having a job. Soon it was apparent she'd bonded to me in the family. Along the way I lost the wife to cancer, the kid left home and then it was just the dog and I, Mika was never more that 6 to 10 feet from me no matter what I was doing.
Only those that have ever been lucky enough to earn the unconditional love and devotion of a dog can understand the gift I was given.
Fast forwarding to now Mika is 11 and I noticed she'd developed some fatty skin tumors some time back, we took a trip to the vet and did a checkup and blood test and it was benign and I was told there was nothing to worry about.
Later I noticed she was having trouble with the stairs and her hind quarters were hurting her.
There was a huge tumor growing on her, they went to remove it and couldn't closed her up and said all we can do is try to make her comfortable. Short and sweet the tumor got rapidly larger and her pain increased and she couldn't get up the stairs without help. She started coming up to me and sitting at my feet and looking me in the eye with a paw on my knee telling me she was hurting and wanting me to fix it...I took her back to the vet one last time on Monday and cradled her in my arms loving her and talking to her with the tears running running down my cheeks as he gave her the sedative I watched the light leave her eyes and felt her body relax in my arms has her life slipped gently away.
I did what all pet owners hate to do but must if they really love their pets, but damn I sure do miss her but I have her paw prints all over my heart to remember her by.
Only those that have ever been lucky enough to earn the unconditional love and devotion of a dog can understand the gift I was given.
Fast forwarding to now Mika is 11 and I noticed she'd developed some fatty skin tumors some time back, we took a trip to the vet and did a checkup and blood test and it was benign and I was told there was nothing to worry about.
Later I noticed she was having trouble with the stairs and her hind quarters were hurting her.
There was a huge tumor growing on her, they went to remove it and couldn't closed her up and said all we can do is try to make her comfortable. Short and sweet the tumor got rapidly larger and her pain increased and she couldn't get up the stairs without help. She started coming up to me and sitting at my feet and looking me in the eye with a paw on my knee telling me she was hurting and wanting me to fix it...I took her back to the vet one last time on Monday and cradled her in my arms loving her and talking to her with the tears running running down my cheeks as he gave her the sedative I watched the light leave her eyes and felt her body relax in my arms has her life slipped gently away.
I did what all pet owners hate to do but must if they really love their pets, but damn I sure do miss her but I have her paw prints all over my heart to remember her by.
