Princess

Princess lived a very long and happy life. She was 17 years old, which is very old for any dog. She had a very tough life before she came to be with us. She started off in the streets, and ended up in the Longmont Humane Society. I was about 5 years old when we got her. I chose her because I could tell she was very special. Even though we hit rough spots in the beginning while training her, I still loved her. We all still loved her. For a long time after we got her, she kept running away, and eventually was hit by a car. Being the strong and stubborn dog she was, she recovered and kept running away.   That is, until we got our second dog, Andrew, who passed away in April 2013. The two were inseperable until he died. She ran away the day after he died, but after she came back she never did again. She was depressed though. And she seemed okay until the beginning of 2014 we noticed something wasn’t right. Her leg that was hit by the car started bothering her again, and it started getting harder for her to walk. Unlike Andrew, however, it was harder to know exactly how much pain she was in, because she would go from not doing very well to acting like a puppy in a minute. But those days were numbered. As we got closer to her last day with us, she would get stuck in seizures, and it took a while for her to snap out of it. After her last seizure she got worse very fast. I remember the monday of the week she died, she gave me a look that said “Help me”. I broke down and cried so hard. She didn’t give me the look again, but I knew that it was time to do something. Right after the look of “Help me”, my mom called Home to Heaven and set an appointment for euthanasia early friday morning. I cried every day, and told princess how much I loved her. We all took turns saying our goodbyes that whole week.  At 9:30 am on Friday, June 20th, 2014 my mom and I took her to Home to Heaven. It was so beautiful there. Princess ran around in the backyard a little bit before we took her inside. After we said our final goodbyes, my mom and I went outside to wait. We hugged each other and cried. Then an amazing thing happened. Dr. Cooney’s dog came to us from the next yard. He let us pet him, smiled, and then left. My mom and I knew that it was Princess’ spirit saying goodbye as she was passing, as if she was saying “I’m okay.” I know it sounds crazy, but that’s what I believe happened. Dr. Cooney finally came out, and I got to see Princess’ body. I broke down and cried, saying goodbye and that I loved her before I finally stepped outside for the final time. It was the last time I was able to pet her and see her in person again. I kept her collar, as well as everything else I got to take home, like the pawprint and keepsake. Princess left us at around 10:45am on Friday, June 20th, 2014. Even though I’m sad she’s gone, I’m also relieved. She was in so much pain at the end, and I’m relieved that she isn’t anymore. And even though this experience was hard, I’m so glad we took Princess to Home to Heaven rather than the vets. Princess left us in a home-like and comfortable setting instead of a scary vet office. I’m so grateful that we did that. Princess was 17 years old (in human years). She was an amazing dog who touched the lives of everyone she met. She will always have a special place in our hearts, especially in mine. Things will never be the same again without her. I love you, Princess! I miss you so much! I hope that your spirit is finally at peace and happy.