Today, just a few hours ago, my family and I had to put our beloved two year old dog and family member, Maggie, to sleep. She was a beautiful ½ Black Lab and ½ Rottweiler.
Over the past couple of weeks, 100 pounds plus, gorgeous Maggie just hasn’t been acting her normal playful self. Her tail, ordinarily curled up in a “I’m a happy dog” way, drooped straight down with little to no movement at all. She also seemed uncomfortable when bending down to drink her water or eat her food. Of course we took her to the veterinarian’s office. As far as the doctor could tell, Maggie had a strained muscle in her girthy neck. He prescribed muscle relaxers and said she should be back to normal within 10 days.
The past few days I mentioned to my family that Maggie seemed sad, lethargic and uncomfortable even with the medicine. When we woke up this morning, Maggie bled from her nose. My husband and brother rushed her to our nearby veterinarian’s office, calling me at home only minutes later. “The news is not good,” my husband said. I told him I would be there immediately.
On my way to the vet’s office, I noticed immediately everything around me was crisper, more vivid. My senses were hyper aware. The color of the sky was more blue, the leaves and foliage on the trees more green. Everyone I saw, the bicyclists, the runners, the people and their dogs, the woman picking raspberries, seemed more alive, more real.
I pulled into the parking lot and my husband, my brother and Maggie were outside the office. My husband explained that Maggie most likely had a lesion on her brain and that there was no cure. I sat on the sidewalk, held Maggie and cried. I told her that she was going to a wonderful place where she would be greeted by St. Francis and my father
(a man who loved animals passionately throughout his life). Maggie’s big brown eyes stared right into mine. I told her that her tail would soon be back in the air. I told her I loved her.Maggie, you will always be loved and missed.
