MONDAY,NOVEMBER 20,2006 - Today we had to say good-bye to a dear friend and companion. We had to have Jane's dog - Dot (Dorthea Mitty Jack), put to sleep due to the cancer she had spreading in her mouth. She was the best house dog we could have asked for and she had been a part of our lives and family and home for the past 12 years.
I remember first seeing her as a puppy and bringing her home for a surprise Christmas present for Jane. I had on a winter coat the day I picked her up and she snuggled down inside my jacket so fast I almost didn't know where she went, but I was hooked. Janet didn't think too much of that stubby tailed rat I brought home at the time, but Dot was a lover and you couldn't help but become attached. She was a small dog with a huge heart.
She loved the company of people and her favorite activity was chasing sparklies on sunny days. Those are the lights made by reflecting sunlight off watches and jewelry onto walls and ceilings. Flashlights and laser pointers worked just as well when the sun wasn't shining. Repairmen always got a kick out of seeing her antics as soon as they brought out their flashlights. It was like having a remote control dog full of fun as you moved the light from surface to surface. I believe you could even actually see her smile with anticipation when you started playing with light.
This past June, she had a tumor removed from her mouth which we know was causing her great pain and suffering and again just two weeks ago she had another removed from under her tongue. These were very foul smelling things that to say the least made her a little unbearable to be around. The vet said he almost lost her on the operating table this last time and gave her six months to a year tops. She bounced back real quick, but the bad odor returned in just a matter of days and once again we had to pretty much confine her to the greenhouse and the garage when we had company. She'd scratch at the doors trying to be a part of the party, and it was very sad. We knew it was just a matter of time. It broke our hearts when she could no longer be a part of every family gathering, because she so loved being in the middle of every party we had around the house. The hard part was she looked okay, but the smell told us something was terribly wrong inside.
So since Janet was taking care of her on a daily basis, she had the final say of when we would finally do the right thing. Jane came over to say goodbye and Janet and Juri took her to the vet. Janet held Dot while the vet gave her a couple of shots and Janet said she felt her slip away. It was over in just a matter of a few minutes.
Janet put her in her basket bed wrapped in a few of her old sweaters for comfort. I had found an ideal place across Juri's bridge to bury her and Janet and Juri made a little memorial with a ring of rocks to mark the location. I guess we could have buried her on one of the couches from the house, because that's where she spent most of her days and nights, but I don't think Juri would have gone for that idea, since he was doing all the heavy lifting. Her little bed was just right.
I'll enjoy saying "Hi" to her when I'm cutting grass next summer and remembering the fun we had. Juri said one of his grandfathers once told told him, "When you give birth, you also give death." And dear pets can seem to be more a reminder of that basic fact of life -- more so, because pets generally live for only a part of our lives. It just makes you realize we should all just enjoy the time we're given and do the best we can. I know Dot had a good life, enjoyed our family, and did her best. She earned her good life through the love she returned. She was a good dog and she will always have a place in our hearts and in our home. We'll miss her company.
Here's something I found on the net which I think is a fitting tribute:
A Dog's Prayer --
Treat me kindly my beloved friend,
for no heart in all the world is more grateful for
kindness than the loving heart of me.
Do not break my spirit with a stick,
for though I should ignore your cruelty, your
patience and understaning will more quickly teach me
the things you would have me learn.
Speak to me often,
for your voice is the worlds sweetest music as you must
know by the fierce wagging of my tail when
your footsteps fall upon my waiting ear.
Feed and water me so that I may stay well to romp and play
and to amuse you with my antics. It is then that I shall curl
up warmly on your lap and sound my contentment to the world.
And my friend, when I am very old and no longer enjoy
good health, hearing and sight, do not make heroic efforts
to keep me going. I am not having any fun. Please see that
my trusting life is taken gently, I shall leave this earth
knowing with the last breath I draw that my fate was
always safest in your hands.