Penny was old when I got her.Her knees and hips were half on the way to gone and I think her eyes were already starting to fade. Penny's story wasn't a bad one. She grew up with a woman who loved her but then her person got too old to take care of Penny and she was neglected. After Penny lost her person things got worse. Thankfully, someone called
Old Dog Haven who rescued her and made her well again.Somehow I found Penny girl - lucky day for me. She came to my home and has done far more to ease so many broken parts of me than I have ever done for her.
There is an inevitable day I know is now too close. Penny's sight and hearing are pretty much gone, She startles easily and sometimes senses things that just aren't there. She does not recognize the cats, maybe thinking they are raccoons coming after her food. She struggles when rising and when lying down. I know she hurts.
The thing is,I have not yet arrived at that moment, imagining my life without her.
God should have given one tenth of the heart and soul of her to humankind. She stands ready to forgive any smallness of spirit,any less than noble action.
She is a whole complete soul, only waiting to go home.
2 comments:
She is very beautiful and very dear. She is a dear heart, I can tell. I'm so glad for you and for Penny that you have had one another. I think you are trusting in her process...and your own. Many blessings these days to you.
Dear Pumpkin,
I'm so glad to hear that my blog helped give you the courage to take care of Penny to the end. That was my hope in writing it! She looks like a dear dog and sounds like a wonderful blessing to you. I pray for you both for this journey ahead.
Ella Bittel, the holistic vet who taught the animal hospice care seminar ("Spirits in Transition") which I took to help me prepare is now offering the basic foundations of it as a two-part series of classes online: http://www.spiritsintransition.org
I would highly recommend that if you can do it.
Also, if you want to help Penny with her stiffness, I would highly recommend canine water therapy. I see from your blog profile that you are in Washington State. Not sure where, but if you're anywhere within commuting distance of Sequim, I would highly highly recommend Cindy Horsfall of La Paw Spa (http://www.lapawspa.com). That's my Cricket on her website front page (I took the photo). She is the woman who pretty much single-handedly introduced the concept of using warm water therapy for dogs (instead of just people or horses). She started the Association of Canine Water Therapy and has trained most of the practitioners in the Northwest and beyond. If you're not near Sequim, there are also several good dog therapy pools in King County and elsewhere. I know and like the ones in Fall City (http://www.heavenlyspa.info) and Sammamish (http://k9aquatics.com) though I don't know the practitioners who work out of them; Cindy used to but she now confines her practice to Sequim.
Finally, if you ever need someone qualified to take care of special needs geriatric dogs if you need to be away for a few days and can't bring Penny with you, I would recommend Julie "Jewlz" Lane of Loving Care Canine Spa in Carnation (http://www.lovingcarecaninespa.com).
Shalom,
Rosie Perera
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