In October of 1995, our dear little Sugar (“Shug”) entered our lives. My siblings and I had wanted a dog for quite some time. We had been accustomed to many kittens around the house and now wanted a puppy. Well, my mom had told her co-workers that if they heard of any puppies for sale that she would be very interested. One day one of her co-workers, “Chris”, came in and asked if she still was. My mom indicated that she was very interested and “Chris” said that her sister’s sheltie had just had a litter and they would be given away. “Chris” also informed her that she would be bringing the litter into work for people to see. Well, one day “Chris” followed through on her word and brought in the litter. Several were adopted that day, and my mom became fond of one in particular.
Her nickname was “Whiz” because she would “whiz” any chance she got. My mom found her to be very sweet but indicated that she could not adopt her until she had discussed it with us. She came home that evening and told us about “Whiz”, and we were ecstatic! We wanted to see this little dog that our mom seemed so fond of. My mom said she would talk to “Chris” and see if possibly we could see the puppies again and make a decision from there. “Chris” said that the puppies would be at her sister’s house that up-coming weekend and we could visit and decide on a puppy. Like our mom, we adored “Whiz” she had a beautiful golden coat, and the biggest, sweetest brown eyes. We told her that we wanted “Whiz” and we brought her home.
When we got home she was quite scared. We sat her down on the kitchen floor and let her investigate her new surroundings. She was just two months old and proceeded to pout as all little puppies do when they are in an unfamiliar place. She trembled and my younger sister, Amity, would pick her up and comfort her. The following night and several to follow were much different than we were accustomed to. My two other siblings weren’t very fond of the name “Whiz” and wanted a new one for this blonde bundle of fur.
One evening my mom asked us all to write down a name and put it in a bowl. She would pick one of them and that would settle the name dispute. I had heard the name, “Sugar” before as a dog’s name, wrote it down, and placed it in the bowl. My mom shook the bowl a little and picked one out. She opened it up and read the name, “Sugar”. At the time my brother and sister were not very pleased but my mom said fair was fair and “Whiz’s” new name was to be “Sugar”. For the next several months my sister and I were her primary caretakers. We would have to get up with her at all hours of the night and teach Sugar go potty or poop outside. It wasn’t easy at first, but as time went on Sugar became potty trained.
I was into my second month of high school and had to be up at about 5:45a.m. to catch the bus. Well, my routine started with letting Sugar out to do her business. I remember one morning distinctly as there was snow on the ground and seeing Sugar trying to manage her way through it and falling in. She’d whimper and I’d have to help her out. Looking back, that moment was SO very precious and it will forever remain in my heart.
When Sugar or “Shug” for short, became old enough it was time for her vaccinations. At the time we had little money and the local PetsMart was giving vaccinations for a reduced fee every other weekend. Well, we put “Shug” in the car and headed into town. We proceeded into the store, and as we walked in, some of the customers would say, “awww…” Sugar was an adorable puppy but she had also become a member of our family. We wanted good things for her, and she grew into a lovely dog. My family continued to take Sugar to PetsMart until my mom could afford a vet visit. Her first vet visit was with a very compassionate veterinarian, Dr. Shackelford. He looked her over and said that we should consider in the near future having her spayed. We knew this part was inevitable so my mom made an appointment. It was hard for us to leave her but we knew she’d be well taken care of. When we came to pick her up, Sugar was in a foul mood and she let us know how disgusted she was. We knew how uncomfortable it must have been, and we made her as comfortable as possible. I would make sure she had water and food but for a couple days she refused it, and if anyone came close, she would respond with a deep growl.
Soon after though, she was back to her old self. Her tail always shook with delight when one of us entered the house and when my brother used to walk her, her whole face lighted up. How Sugar loved her walks. They were her adventures. I remember how she’d waddle down the sidewalk and also sometimes do her business there. But that waddle was so cute, and you could see in her big brown eyes how content she was just when one of us was close by. She loved us unconditionally and we knew it. We knew that this wonderful little dog wasn’t judging us when we had a bad day. And I remember how she would greet us at the gate with a smile and lead us to the door. Sugar grew into that name that my brother and sister were not very fond of, and she was truly a warm companion. As the years past, she bonded the most with my mom.
How she loved my mom.
All Sugar ever wanted was to be right there with her. I learned to drive with Sugar sitting on my mom’s lap on the passenger side. I would practice on country roads and Sugar loved barking at cows. Looking back those were some of the most precious moments of my life.
I will never forget them.
We took Sugar for her shots when they were due, and Sugar seemed quite healthy. A new vet by the name of Dr. Jensen had come to town and it was very convenient for people to go there rather than driving twenty, thirty miles into town. We took her to Dr. Jensen up until March of 2003. We had taken a trip to Europe and left Sugar and our other dog, Atari at a kennel. We returned almost two weeks later and brought them home. Sugar seemed especially distraught as if the experience was a traumatic one, and we noticed that both dogs’ eyes were runny. Of course as any responsible pet owner, we took them into Dr. Jensen who prescribed an ointment. We thought that was the end of it but Sugar’s breathing sounded strange and she began coughing. Before our trip we had both dogs vaccinated for kennel cough and we knew that was probably not the culprit. My mom became worried and took Sugar in to see the vet once again. My mom thought it might have been a pine needle or something of that nature had become lodged in Sugar’s throat. Dr. Jensen suggested we look into the possibility that Sugar’s heart had something to do with it. My mom indicated that we should,
just to eliminate any other causes.
Sugar got a x-ray and we brought her home where we awaited to her the results. Dr. Jensen called one afternoon and gave my mom some devastating news. I remember with clear colors how distraught my mom became. Dr. Jensen told her Sugar was dying. Her heart was enlarged and not pumping blood properly. She offered very little hope and I remember how distraught we all became. Sugar was only seven years old and to us, she seemed full of life but under the surface there was something more severe going on.
Sugar became gravely ill on August 16, 2003. She was unable to hold down foods or even drink water properly. My mom had to make one of the hardest decisions in her life on August 27th. We let Sugar go because we knew how sick she was. We couldn’t bear to watch her suffer anymore and we did the most loving thing we could, we ended her suffering. We loved her enough to let her go.
Sugar loved us. She wanted us to be happy and to get along. She loved stuffed toy bears. If one of us brought one home, her eyes filled with joy. She and my cat, “Tigger” were buds, and I remember how she’d kiss him on the nose. I remember playing tug-of-war with her and how she’d chase squirrels.
Sugar was loved and I know she knew it. I know she knew we’d do anything for her. She was our protector. She was a barker who made a point to let visitor’s know her duty. She never bit anyone but she always felt that she had to protect us. I know that she would have battled a mountain lion for us if she had to.
I know we would have for her. I know that dog knew that our love for her was true, and that letting her go was so very hard. To have to let go of the sweetest, most loyal dog was traumatic for each and every one of us. We will never be the same because she touched our lives in such a way,
and she will be greatly missed.
We love you Sugar!
| Sugar |
| White family |