We got Gracie in 2002 from a breeder because she had a deformed front leg (which she later broke and had to have removed). Two years later the breeder called me to find another home for a puppy that had been sickly and was a runt (had to syringe feed her). I said I would check around but went out to see her myself. She took my heart when he handed her to me. I was to pick her up on the weekend so he put her back with her litter mates. They jumped on her and I couldn’t even see her. I said, ‘Bob, help her.’ He said, ‘oh, she’ll be okay.’ I did not know, at the time, how blessed we were to have Izzie in our lives.
Many, many memories came to us in that first year. We kennel trained her and she was so good. As she got older, the minute I went to bed, she would run in and cuddle up beside me while I read. I mean her soft little muzzle right on my neck or arm or chest. When Gary and Grace would come to bed, Gary would bring a treat and say, ‘Izzie, time to kennel.’ She would look up at him and then get up, go to the kennel, get her treat and a cover and go to sleep. Needless to say the night kennel did not last long. First it was just on weekends, then oh just tonight. It was pretty crowded but who needed to sleep. We got a king bed and a twin beside it. Izzie would come in first and sometimes, Grace would come in and act like she needed to go out. Well, Izzie loved Gracie and wherever Gracie went, Izzie went.
Izzie would jump off the bed and run outside and then Grace would jump up and steal her place. Izzie would come back in so miffed then she would run to her papa, tell on Gracie and then get up in his chair and 1/2 and lay across his lap until he came to bed. The rule was Izzie had to leave Grace alone until she had gone potty. I would say, ‘Izzie, let Grace go potty.’ She would run back up to the porch and squat down until Grace was done, then she would start sneaking up staying close to the ground until sometimes she was on top of Grace. Then Grace would start running like crazy (Grace can run like a greyhound, she just looks like a kangaroo when she walks). Izzie is the only one who knew how to play with Grace.
Grace has a Happy Face stuffed toy. Grace would run and get it and shake, shake, shake it. Izzie would run up and grab one side and it would start a pull game. Then one or the other would get it and start running. If Izzie was in the lead, she would look back at Gracie to see how close she was and if not close, she would bounce, twirl, leap always glimsing back until Gracie started getting close. Then she would seriously try to run and stay ahead. She could not so she would cut across the yard and start the leaping and clowning around again. They would play like that until Grace was tired.
No other dog knew how to lovingly play with Gracie like Izzie did. Izzie loved her so and gave her so much love. Grace is having a real hard time right now. She shakes her happy face and when Izzie doesn’t come to pull, she just drops the toy and lays down.
We have buffalo in the field behind us and Izzie loved playing up and down the fence with them. At first, they would just stand at the fence and watch Izzie’s antics but then once in awhile, there were about 3 or 4 of them, that would actually run up and down and play with her. They were the two year olds.
The happiest Izzie ever was was in her backyard. Once Grace was tired out, Izzie would get her football and bring it to us to throw. She would have done it all day long. We would throw it and she would run and catch it, dribble it, catch it on the half volley but it was when she had it that the happiness began. She actually smiled as she clamped down on that ball and ran around the yard like a champion taking a victory lap. She would run by us, run by Grace (just incase she was rested and wanted a pull and run), all the time, her head rocking back and forth, prancing, prancing. Then after the victory lap, watching all the time incase the neighbors were watching, she would bring the ball back for another throw. She hated to part with the ball and would hesitate to put it down but she would finally give it up, at our feet, on the table, on our laps, sometimes she would forget to let go in her hurry to make the run so it would get away from us. We would make her bring it back, which was very irritating to her, but mostly we would go get it and throw it again until she tied. Izzie loved the fall and winter needless to say and hated the summer heat.
The thing that meant the most to me was her hug. She had to have hugs. The utility meter reader came inside the fence one day and I said Izzie will have to go between your legs. He said okay Izzie come on between my legs and get a hug and then Izzie vaulted out and started her romp around the yard. He watched her for awhile laughing at her clowning around and when she came back for a rest, he said, Izzie, I don’t think your elevator goes all the way to the top. This was her routine in the morning. Get out of bed, go to the living room and give her stuffed bulldog a shake, come in the kitchen to go between my legs for her hug, go down into the greyhound stance or stretch for a shoulder rub, go potty, come back in and try to get Gracie up
by whimpering on along the bed.
We never take a vacation but my uncle lives alone and seemed to be having a hard time lately so we planned a trip to Branson MO. He was so excited and I was trying to keep to a schedule. Izzie did not eat just before it was time to take them to the kennel. The first sign she was not feeling well, she always ate. I thought she knew we were leaving and was upset. On September 12 I took her to the kennel and Gary went to the airport to pick up my uncle. When I got there, she did not go between the owners legs or pay any attention to them, the second sign. As I was leaving, she stood with her ears layed back and looked at me. I went back into the kennel and she came out to me. I hugged her tight. I always put my arm between her front legs and the other around her middle and draw her to me. She always just leans in and loves me back. Then I put her back and left. The next day she did not eat but I did not know it.
Then Thursday morning as we were leaving the room, my phone rang and it was the owner saying Izzie was down and which vet to take her to. I began keening not Izzie not Izzie. About 5 minutes later, they called back and said she was gone. I asked them to take her to the vet, they have a crematorium, and I called the vet to say she was on the way. Dr got on the phone and said how sorry he was (very kind people) and I asked for a necropsy. It was pancreatitis. All she ever wanted was to be in her backyard with us near by incase she needed a hug. She gave us so much love and she died in the kennel by herself. I always say things happen for a reason but I have not come up with one yet for this loss. Gary & I were unconsolable but my uncle is 80 and we did not know if we would ever be here again so we stayed and went to the shows.
It is the hardest thing we have ever had to do and I lost a son in 1996 in a car accident. We did come home a day early. The Doctor kept Izzie for us so we could say goodbye, then we had her cremated. This winter we are hoping for snow in a way, tho it will be unbearably sad, so we can spread some of her ashes in the backyard she so loved. We went to our mortuary and he divided the ashes into small memorial urns, a pictures urn that we purchased and an urn of just pure ash to spread this winter.
We are having a portrait done of Izzie and Grace. We went to the artist and told her about Izzie. She has done portraits for us before. She is a miracle. Gary is better but still breaks down. I feel like I cannot live another day without my loving Izzie but Grace needs us so much right now and Izzie loved her so. Tell be why our baby was taken from us and especially in the way she was taken.
We need you, our Precious Izzie.
| Izzie |
| Jackie Gary Snodgrass-Hockenbury |