Baby by Patricia Caskey / momma

Baby, the sweetest dog,

When I first moved out of my parents’ home to start college, I was 17 years old. It was an exciting, but frightening time. I move in with my high school sweetheart. Things weren’t going well and I was alone a lot. I decided I wanted a dog to keep me company. I went to the local animal shelter and looked at a few dogs, but didn’t find any I made a connection with. As I was walking out the door to go home. empty handed I thought, I spotted her. Crouched in the corner was this greasy black lump. I looked at her and she looked up at me, through the matted hair hanging in her eyes and I told the man that I wanted her. My boyfriend thought I was crazy to want “that ugly thing”. There was something about her that grabbed me and I knew she was the one. Here I am now, 14 years later, writing this story about her and weeping.

Baby was with me through so much in my life. The break up of me and my high school sweetheart. The move back to my parent’s house. Moving back to town I got her from to finish college. Back to my parent’s house. Into my new home with a new boyfriend. My marriage and divorce. And now moving into the home I just bought. Through everything good and bad that has gone on since that day I brought her home, she was always the constant in my life. I knew that no matter what happened in my life, she would always
be there-happy to see me.

About a year ago, Baby started losing her hearing and vision. She wouldn’t hear me come home sometimes and couldn’t see me on the couch sitting right in front of her. She was still very energetic thought and ran around the yard like she was still a puppy sometimes. A few days ago, she stopped eating. I had to go out of town for the weekend, so I left her at my parent’s house. This had been a routine for some time. She stopped being able to control her bladder a few years ago and with me at work all day, she would stay at their house so my mom could let her go outside when she needed to go to the bathroom. On Saturday, after 3 days of not eating, my dad took her to the vet and they put her on IV. She came home that afternoon. I talked to my mom and she said she was not doing well. On Sunday, I called and my mom said she was worse. I told her I was on the road and on my way home. She called about 10 minutes later to tell me she had passed away. I wish I could have been there to hold her as she left this earth. My mom loved her as much as I, so she was held with loving arms. I will miss her so very much. She was, and always will, be my Baby.

Baby now joins my cats Joachim and Herman.

 

She will always be in my heart-forever.