by Susan Billings

My story is short but one I will never forget.

My family adopted Maverick 6 years ago.

He was the best thing that could have ever happened

to me and my family. We had so much love for him that when

he died suddenly Monday the 18th of March of this year we

all feel a great loss.

Maverick was everything to us when I would come home from

work at night and stop at the stop sign Maverick would be up

and standing in the driveway waiting for me with

his tail wagging and his ears up.

Knowing that I would come home to the dog who was

my whole life.

His happiness was all I needed after a long day at

work and fighting the traffic.

But now some how I feel cheated by the fact that 2 years ago

he had a tumor on his toe the vet removed

the tumor but told us that he would have to come back in

and have more surgery as this type of cancer can spread to

all his vital organs and possibly go straight to his brain,

so what could I do except take him back hopping to get

him back cancer free and that is what happened

for 2 years he was cancer free.

But then about 2 weeks ago he started getting sick and

lost 30 pounds in 3 months so he had some blood work done

and his liver enzymes went through the roof.

So he had an Ultrasound and the specialist found a tumor in his

abdomen and couldn’t see any of his vital organs

such as the liver spleen kidney’s or anything else vital,

but I just kept thinking that God would take care of him

and give me more time with him but that wasn’t the case

on Monday March 18th I took him to an emergency care hospital

and they did a check on him and drew blood and said that he was

bleeding into his stomach and if she gave him a transfusion that

really wouldn’t make things any better for him .

So I had a decision to make and this is where the guilt

comes into play.

He really didn’t have to many options so I choose to have him put down

and now every hour of every day I wonder did I do the right thing?

I am hopping that by writing this story it will ease some of the pain

I am going through.

I MISS HIM SO MUCH and I don’t know what to do.

I miss the wag of his tail and the happiness he always brought

into my life but I do know that he is much happier and

in a much better place .

I know in time the hurt and pain will go away

at least I hope so.

Susan