As a child, I never was allowed to have any pets. Then I married a man that was allergic to anything with hair or fur. So for most of my adult life I didn’t have a pet either.
A few years after my divorce in August of 2003, My daughters and I had just moved to a new city to live with my boyfriend. I had become good friends with my b/f’s ex-mother-in-law. (imagine that?)She told me that her daughter who is my b/f’s ex-wife had adopted a dog named Patches from a shelter. She couldn’t handle Patches problem with seperation anxiety. So she gave Patches to her. She didn’t really want the dog either, so she asked me if I would take her. At first site I fell in love with her. My daughters thought they were in heaven. I think just on the first day alone, Patches got more hugs and kisses then
she had in her 3 years of life!
We decided to give it a try, with a lot a patience and time working with her, she came around just fine. She still always was sad to see us leave the house, but we always got a ton of kisses when we got back.
After only 6 months of us having her, she started to scratch and chew herself. I took her to the vet and they said my sweet Patches was more than likely sick with severe allergies. I got her tested and sure enough. We started to give her shots. Well, she just happened to be that 1/3 that the shots didn’t work for. I tried many, if not all holistic medicines, and treatments. But she continued to chewed herself completely miserable everyday, not even wearing a basket muzzle stopped her, and she used it as her scratcher.
She did nothing but lay around a sleep all day, when she was not itching herself. She also started having bad seizures a few months ago and after about 1 1/2 weeks from the onset of the seizures, she went completely blind. A few weeks ago, she started bleeding from all of her private areas. She really had no quality of life. Some days she ate real good and others she barely ate at all. She was the sweetest most gentle dog that I have ever met.
I could not let her suffer anymore, so I had to make one of the hardest decisions in my life. I had her put to eternal sleep on Tuesday. I was there with her until she took her last breath. I took her home and buried her in my back yard, right next to one of my flower gardens.
I felt like such a monster and that I had just killed one of my girls. It has been very hard on us all that last two days. I miss her so much, every time I come in the house I keep waiting for her to come running to me. Then I have to stop and remember that she is not here.
My b/f thinks I’m crazy, but I have been saying “hello Patches” when I come into the house. I just know her spirit is there, I feel her and I sometimes think I can hear her foot steps and hear her goofy noises that she made when she was sleeping. I ordered her a monument that should be ready next Monday. I will always and forever love and miss her.
With All My Love, OXOX's Sweetie,
| Patches |
| Shelly Dessort |