I took a bit of a break on this blog for the start of summer. A lot has happened since then: I started working full time for my boss, I've had many drinks on patios, I've visited friends who I hadn't seen in a while, and I said a really freaking hard goodbye.
My family's dog, Sequoia, hadn't been doing well from about March until we said our final goodbye to her on June 11th. She had really bad arthritis in her back legs, and it was getting to the point where she just couldn't move. She couldn't control her bowels. She couldn't follow us around the yard. She would walk 25 feet and lay down. It was so hard seeing her like that. We knew that it was the beginning of the end and I was trying to prepare myself, but when the time came it was still so hard.
We adopted Sequoia in May 2002 after a year hiatus with no dog. Being the animal lover that I am I had pestered my dad to get another dog daily for that entire year. Every morning it was: "Dad, can we get a dog?" He always said he wasn't ready yet. One day, he dropped me off for my band concert and I realized that he had snuck in after the concert had started. It was VERY unlike him and I was super curious where he had gone. That night, he said the magic words: "I think I found our next dog." I jumped up and gave him a huge hug. He had snuck down to the Humane Society to see her for himself, but he didn't want to get my hopes up before he did. I don't think he even told my mom. Nice one Dad.
The very next day was a Friday and I counted down the hours until we could go meet her. I was beyond excited. After supper, we piled in our tiny 4-door sedan to drive down to see her. They said she hadn't been spayed yet so we wouldn't be able to take her home that day. We pulled up and walked into the dog kennels. All the dogs were barking as we walked through. All but Sequoia that is. she was laying down and looked up at us calmly with these gorgeous chocolate brown eyes as if to say "take me home". I will never forget that first look. I fell in love. We walked her outside and we all knew that she was the one for us. She had this huge smile on her face as we walked around with her as if she knew her family had come to get her and take her home.
Dad walked up to the front desk to tell them that we would adopt her. The clerk looked through the files and realized that she indeed WAS spayed. "Would you like to take her home tonight?" the lady asked.
My response: "YES!!!"
Dad's response: "We don't have the right car to take her home." (She was 80 pounds of adorable mutt.)
Secretary: "Oh that's ok, we'll give you a sheet!"
So my parents finished the paperwork as I pet our beautiful new dog. We all piled in the car again, this time with me and my dad in the back seat with Sequoia sitting on a sheet between us, happy as a clam. She laid down immediately and had this huge doggie grin on her face. I hugged her and pet her and we definitely bonded on that ride home. Dad had to stop at Target to get dog food and supplies because we didn't think we would have a dog with us when we came home! I sat in the car with Sequoia and she looked out the window happily.
She got out into our yard and just started running around excitedly. She knew she was home. We had 12 amazing years with her. I always felt like her Girl. She loved being home. She loved chasing rabbits and trotting after us when we worked in the gardens. She loved sitting on the back step, especially if one of us sat with her and she could get lots of love. She loved her morning walks with my dad. She loved when he laid down and snuggled with her in the grass. She loved her family. Whenever I packed up the van to move to college, she would find a Sequoia-sized spot and she would hop in and lay down because she wanted to go with. She was loyal to a fault.
I cried so hard the day we had to put her down. I'm crying just writing this post. I was able to spend a good chunk of the day with her before my dad had to take her to the vet. It was such a hard goodbye. I sat down and cried into her fur and she just put her head in my lap as if to tell me it was ok. She always knew what I needed.
She's no longer in pain, but I miss her like crazy. I have faith that she is on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge waiting for me and that I will see her again. She will always have part of my heart. Pets are so much more than a dog or a cat or a hamster or a fish or whatever. They become part of the family. That is why it is the hardest goodbye.
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