Baby by Michelle Newland / MaMa & PaPa

Baby came to us in March of 1997 straight from the Humane Society. And from what we were told her life before that hadn’t been the greatest. Her “original owners” owned her parents, which were show dogs and couldn’t be fixed. And they didn’t separate the female from the male when she came into heat. They never registered the pups, just gave them away. Baby was the runt of the litter and nobody wanted her. They brought her into the Humane Society when she was 3 months old and threw her against the counter saying “she’s yours”, and left. Baby did her 3 day “jail” time and from that day forward was ours.

One of the things that made her so unique in our eyes was the fact that she shared a birthday with her new Dad. Right from the first day she was an instant part of our family. She would either sleep with us or one of our girls. She would always tell me 10 minutes ahead of time of when the girls would be home from school. We have always had a cat or two and she always loved them. She especially loved to suck on their heads, we don’t know why, that’s just how it was. When our girls would be gone for the night Baby would just lie outside their bedroom door and cry. She wouldn’t eat until they were home again safe and sound.

As the years went by Baby developed arthritis in her back hips. Not an uncommon problem in dogs of the bigger breeds I was to find out. Although it was painful for her to live with and painful for me to watch. First it was only bad on rainy or cold days then it got to be really bad most of the time. She was still my ultra protective guard dog that she had always been though. Even if that wasn’t what she was supposed to be. She was just supposed to be our pet, someone to love us and for us to love back. But try telling her that.

And then this past June 11, 2004…which happened to be MY birthday….Baby laid down on the living room floor to take a nap and never re-opened her eyes again. I had told her it was ok to let go if that’s what she needed to do a couple of weeks ago. But I still wasn’t prepared for this. I don’t think I would ever be prepared for it. My special friend..who had a unique bond with her dad through their birthdays came into this world on his birthday November 6 1996 and she left this world on my birthday June 11, 2004.

I miss her to this day. I still cry for her and I still grieve for her. I know that someday I will see her again…until then…I miss you Baby Girl.

 

We Miss You Baby...
Baby
Michelle Newland