I explained it to St. Peter,
I'd rather stay here,
Outside the pearly gate.
I won't be a nuisance,
I won't even bark,
I'll be very patient and wait.
I'll be here, chewing on a celestial bone,
No matter how long you may be,
I'd miss you so much, if I went in alone,
It wouldn't be heaven for me.
-ANONYMOUS
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"Baby" was a rescue dog. She was
bred by a family in Angleton, Texas, littermate to Alta. She was
the one they picked to keep. Her life started
out as you would expect for a beloved puppy. She had someone to
care for her and she was loved. Unfortunately, things got
difficult for this family. The daughter had been in a car accident
as a teenager and was paralyzed from the neck down. When the
mother died, her father was left to care for her. This left Baby
on her own. When she was 12 years old, her owner, now in his 80s,
made it known that he was looking for a home for Baby. That was
when I became aware of her situation. She was littermate to my
Alta so she was family and couldn't be left in neglect.
I thought I found a good home for
Baby but found her in the pound a few weeks later, sick and near death
from heartworms. I took her in, brought her back to health and
found her another home. Again, she came back. She was
destined to stay with us and teach us about perseverance.
Baby has been through heartworm
treatment, cystic ovaries, cancer (abdominal mast cell tumors) and two
torn knee joints. She may have been neglected for years but she
was determined to
live in luxury for at least that long. And, she did.
Baby never really learned how to play
and always seemed very serious about things. She was extremely
loyal and never, ever left my side. As she got older, she lost her
hearing. She would fall asleep at my feet and then panic when she
woke up to find I had moved to another room. She was terrified of
thunder so loss of hearing was a blessing. She adored my Sam but
didn't get along with her sister, Alta.
In March of 2005, at just over
18 years of age, Baby's body finally reached the end. Even though
she was still determined as always, her legs stopped being able to
support her body. She went to The Bridge
to be with her sister on March 23.
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