Monday, September 14, 2009

Puppy Love

Once upon a time...

I had a dog.
She was the most wonderful dog in the
ENTIRE WORLD!

Her name was Shelli.

Shelli joined my family when I was 5 years old
as a present to my 17 year old brother Paul.
She quickly became the favorite member of the family.

Shelli shared everything with us,
ice cream
beds
chocolate
dinner
happiness
sorrows

She was with us through good and bad.

Shelli was one SMART dog.
If you said "hup"
she'd be jumping all over you
if you tried to fake her out and pretend throw her ball,
she'd bark at you
Shelli could sit
shake
and lie down on command

She was a protector.
Hated a man in uniform
[unless of course it was Paul suited up in his Army best]
And barked at anyone who walked or drove by that she feared might
harm her house.

Shelli often got teased by the boys in the family.
Chased by the vacuum
to the point where the closet door holding the vacuum
couldn't be opened without her cowering in the corner
Instead of throwing her ball
the boys would throw rocks
she would chase them and chew them and ruin her teeth
after a time she preferred the softer cat food to hard doggie foods

Shelli moved from kid to kid down the line as we grew up and moved out.
We learned not to wake her if she fell asleep on your pillow
[she was a GROUCHY dog without sleep.. kind of like dad]
We learned never to feed her beans EVER
[scratch that QUENTIN learned never to feed her beans....
poor Q.]

By the time I graduated high school Shelli ruled the down stairs.
We had given up trying to get her to stop sleeping on the couches
And she had her own space that no one else would sit on
[mostly because if you did, you would come out furrier than chewbacca!]

Shelli also began to rule the downstairs because she couldn't make it upstairs anymore.
She had a water tumor on her right ankle that never stopped growing and was losing strength.

But just because she was slower and weaker didn't mean she didn't have any soul left!
She stayed by my mother's side day and night as my mom denied her "empty nester" status
She played catch with my dad
and barked at a few plummers and A/C men

When I got married,
she clung to my mom as she realized
that I wouldnt ever be moving back home

over time, Shelli got weaker and weaker
no longer being able to control her bladder,
the poor pup began to lose the dignity she saw in herself

Her tumor swelled to the size of a grapefruit
she began to limp and was unable to walk more than
a few steps at a time.
She started to pick at her tumor
and one morning after a long night outside,
my parents opened the door to pools of blood
that the open wound had left on the back porch

Our Shelli was dying.

On Saturday, September 12th, 2009
my parents took Shelli to the vet to be
put to sleep.

It was a terribly hard day for us all.
Saying goodbye to a friend that had been with us for more than
13 years.

Shelli was the silliest sweetest dog I have ever known.
On her last day with us on this earth she showed us that she was ready.
She didnt act like herself those last few days.
people would walk in the room and she wouldnt even raise her head
she knew it was time.

when we put Shelli down it was so hard.
To see to watch
but I am soo grateful she isnt in pain anymore.
Thank you shelli for being more than just a pet.
Thank you for being a life long friend



I am sorry if I sound pathetic mourning over the loss of a mere dog.
I realize that there are many out there that have suffered much worse
but Shelli was someone dear to me
She definitely left a pawprint on my heart

here's to Shelli

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am crying - You write beautifully! I couldnt imagine my life without Bailey and Daisy Mae. When they suffer, I suffer! I undersand exactly where you come from when explaining your feelings and your life with Shelli. I am sorry for your loss!

RIP shelli

Inside A Book said...

I'm glad we can write it here if we can't share it elsewhere. Thanks for being there for us on Saturday. It was comforting to have you help us and be with Shelli. She's running and chasing balls in doggy-heaven and waiting for us!!

Thanks for a great tribute. She was one great friend!! I miss her.

Melissa said...

I'm sorry, Jennie. :( I understand the heartbreak. We lost our kitty Ephraim...and can only assume he was either stolen or killed. :'( I wrote about it a while back.

Melissa said...

http://operationexistence.blogspot.com/2009/04/ephraim.html

beckaboots said...

I am so sorry that Shelli is gone. At least your heart can rest knowing that she is no longer suffering. RIP shelli