Shadow was a gorgeous, white, curly-haired bichon. She loved nothing but playing with her owners, and her brown stuffed rabbit. A few tricks she knew (but not by command) were to stand up on her hind legs, and shake her front legs together, as if begging, and another trick she did was when she was lonley, she flipped her rabbit over her head. Shadow loved everyone equally, she slept on everyone’s beds at least once a week. She seemed to know when we came home from school; she’d wait patiently by the front door, eagerly waiting for us to barge through the door. Her favorite snack was Milk Bones, which we gave her twice a day.
She also had a dog friend ; Wilby. He was a tiny terrier, who played and barked with Shadow every chance he had. By the time we moved, Shadow was 10 years old, and confused at the new home. Her old home was 2 years old, covered in carpets wall to wall. But this house was all hardwood. Pretty soon she got a faint case of arthritis in her hind legs, and she slipped whenever she tried to get up the stairs.
Soon, the upper floors were restricted because of her horrid arthritis. We gave her special tablets that the vet gave us, but the arthritis got worse until she dragged her hind feet. Eventually, in August 2004, Shadow had to go to the vet, her last day.
We sat on our front lawn, each taking turns of holding her, talking about all the great memories. She licked our hands, and wagged her tail, also looking back on her young days. She was 12 when she went to doggy heaven. Shadow is probably racing around in huge open fields of grass, with strong hind legs, and Wilby will probably be right next to her. Every night before I go to bed, I see her picture, and a smile comes to my face, because I remember the curly white fur I twisted my fingers through, and the small chocolate-colored nose and her deep black eyes, and remember.
With Love
| Shadow |
| Annie |