Author: MaryLou

Abbey wasn’t the easiest dog but she was full of heart. She loved food enough that she jumped up on the Holiday dinner table and sniffed out all the food. She was usually pretty good about not getting caught, but she forgot that my sister was in the other room and saw the leap.
Abbey was my protector. She chased a stranger from my house who was trying to get open my backdoor. What a girl!

Then I had this odd, slightly retarded neighbor male who was yelling at me menacingly for parking my car on the street in front of my own house.(He was odd) Abbey didn’t like his tone and she, bless her heart, barked and barked and barked until he left me alone.
Abbey, you were wonderful!

Abbey also hate almost every other dog she ever met, except for Chester and Lucy. You never knew who Abbey would decide she didn’t like. She growled at yard deer statues a lot. But, she was scared to death of meeting cats…until I adopted Whispurr. Whispurr was Abbey’s constant buddy after Chester passed away. Then there was the day my boyfriend tried to take a rawhide away from Abbey. There was a whole lot of growling and snarling when that happened. Fortunately my boyfriend won and nobody was hurt.

This year Abbey slowed down. She went deaf. Then she developed incontinence . I noticed frenzied barking spells. Her eyes clouded over. I had medications for her but it wasn’t working well. The vet said it was canine cognitive disorder. I reluctantly let my retired boyfriend take her to his farm. Since he was home day times it worked very well. Abbey was such a happy girl on the farm. She was had Lucy (a rottweiler), 3 horses to sniff, Kiwi (a cat) and even chickens to chase once in a while. She was deliriously happy for about 2 weeks. Her frenzies stopped. We were able to reduce her meds. She romped in the field with Lucy so very happy. I guess she was better off for 2 weeks on the farm running free and being happy than having another year in my house with the sporadic crating and my itty-bitty fenced yard. She followed my friend everywhere, constantly was his shadow. I don’t’ think I ever realized that she was a Velcro dog until I saw her on the farm. She was a great farm girl.

I missed her but was glad I could see her being happy. Sadly, last Tuesday my boyfriend called me and tearfully said “Abbey was dead”. He tragically had run over her when he was driving his tractor in the horse pasture. I was devastated. My boyfriend felt terrible. I got so angry..it’s a terrible hardship to lose a dog in an accident. Anyway, I think we will be able to forgive each other, just as Abbey would forgive what happened to her.

Life on the farm was heaven on earth for her. Abbey, you are always in my heart. You are missed. I am glad that you did not suffer long and that you were loving held as you passed to the Rainbow Bridge. He misses you terribly and he can barely live with himself for letting you down. Please visit him in a dream and give him your paw and a kiss of forgiveness so that he/we can get through this. I expect a visit too!!