Feb. 3 1997 —- July 2 2000
Golden Retriever
Hello,
I am the mom here with tears I will try to write our wonderful story.
Let’s see,ok… one day our family decided we may want to get a pet.
We were trying to find a small dog so went to the pound in Pomona Ca.
on February 3,1997 to look for one and ended up with the most beautiful
looking creature I could have ever found.
As I was scouting the kennel’s that day I came across a kennel that had
every color lab in it you could think of and among them was this
beautiful shinny red(no less) Golden Retriever!
I told the attendant I wanted to see her and so we went to the
“get aquatinted area” and right away I could see that this dog had been
extensively schooled and was very smart.
She did all I asked to do in command’s. She was a very mild mannered doggie too
and loving as all can be! As we walked back to her kennel another attendant
had come down that hall and told me,”this dog is now scheduled to be euthanized”,
I said “no way,she’s coming with me”…so end’s the idea of getting a little dog!
Lilly was a large golden and red too!
At first I thought she was a Irish Setter because of her color.
I had never seen a red golden before. When I got her home some of the neighbor
kid’s were leary of her size…alot of people were. When ever we took Lilly
somexcwhere or on a walk we always heard…”she’s so big”…LOL !!!
So we gave a new birthday and new life and in return she gave us her
endless love,devotion and faithfulness for 3-1/2 year’s until
July 2 2000 – 3:49 am….. that was the night our beautiful Lilly had
finally went home to Jesus.
We knew that Jesus had given Lilly to us. She was a wonderful gift too.
I will admit she was a outdoor girl and stayed there most of the time with
the exception of real cold night’s and her winning of loneliness sometime’s too.
She did her job well in protecting us too.
The last three day’s of her life were rough for her. Lilly had developed a
awful asthmatic like breathing sound and it made her chest indent almost
completely too. It would come and go.
On the third night of this happening,it was her last night on earth.
Around 1:30 AM my daughter Mari called in distress to me “mom
I think there is something wrong with Lilly,she can’t breathe”…
she was in a deep panic and I did all I could to maintain composer too.
We bought Lilly in to the house and she kept lying down and getting up again
and also kept having these horrible episode’s. It was very frightening as both
my daughter and I were watching our loving pet die right before our eye’s !
At one point she laid down and went totally limp and her eye’s were
fixed and dilated. I think for a moment Lilly had passed on and
God saw we were trying to help her and bought here back.
I don’t know but at one point also,my daughter said she tried to breathe air
into Lilly’s nose to help her. I was not in the room at the time so I don’t know
just what that was all about. My husband came home from work and
we all 4 jumped in the car and headed to the East Valley Vet Hospital
in Diamond Bar Ca. There the doctor examined Lilly and said she might
have CHF (congestive heart failure) when we heard that we were of coarse
very surprised but then the doctor said,”we’ll some x-ray’s to make sure”.
In the meantime,we were all waiting very scared for the ray’s to come back.
When they did come back,the doctor looked very grim.
We had gotten the shock of our life! The doctor said “she has a very serious
and fatal form of cancer in her lung’s and it was totally in her lung’s
and spreading into her heart too”….at that point you all can imagine what
we were going thru shock like you would not believe!
It has been said that animal’s can mask their pain alot more than human’s can.
Our dear Lilly never showed us her pain only distress in her final hour’s.
So then the doctor said” I can’t tell you how long she may have
but it doesn’t look good,a few day’s ,a few month’s,but not likely.
I think it be best for all and Lilly too to make a decision soon”.
Well at that point I lost it completely. Here I was having to make a instant
decision on taking my dear friend our of her misery when 3 year’s earlier
I had saved her from the very thing!!!! My daughter and husband made
the decision but did ask me to finalize it my husband said we could bring
Lilly home again but also went on to tell me “wouldn’t it be better to help
her now then maybe finding her in the yard on day ?
“I knew he was right and thought about it for a while. I ultimately made the
decision to give Lilly the fatal shot that would take her home to Jesus
but I regretted it. I felt like I was killing my doggie,the girl I had saved
and now had to decide to take her life due to some damn stupid cancer!!!
OSTEOSARCOMA then we all walked into the room where Lilly was
waiting for us and we got on the floor with her.
We all believe she knew what was coming next. She cradled herself in
my daughter’s lap and I held her head in my hand’s like a baby
she was our baby! The nurse shaved a small portion of Lillie’s left front leg
and the doctor inserted the shot. Fore the plunger was really even pushed to dispense
the fatal medication that would end our poor girl’s life she lowered her head into
my hand’s and went to sleep gently. Our girl had passed from this earthy
life to ther “Rainbow Bridge” life into Jesus world.
After Lilly died,my daughter and husband and I all surrounded Lilly then they
left the room I could not leave the room. I remained with Lilly for about
20 minute’s praying over and talking to her as I did before the shot and
during the shot also. When we left the vet to and arrived back to our house
it was a very tiring and solemn moment. My husband and I both said
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to go in the backyard for awhile”
and it was true but the next day July 3 2000 the day after Lillie’s
passing my husband and I built a small memorial in one of Lillie’s
many spot’s made with two simple banche’s in the shape of a cross
and attached plastic calla lillies to it also.
We chose not to take Lillies remains as it was costly and really too painful
for us to do right now so we let the vet handle it.
But everyday I make it a point to now go outside to the memorial and
talk and say a little prayer to our dear girl Lilly.
I know she is still here in spirit and she now is our loving angel doggie of love.
She will be missed more then we will ever be able to say in word’s
but what keep’s us going on is that we know in our heart’s that Lilly
was our precious “gift from Jesus”
Until we meet again sweet angel girl,run in health youth and love..
give us a bark every now and then ok?
This is not good bye Lil,
we love you and miss you,
your,
Dad Mom Daughter
Gleeson Family
July 3 2000
| Lilly |