A Noble Act...
Friday, March 9, 2007
| There is a blog out there that I read often....and you can probably guess is mostly about animals and why we love them. Pam (the blogger) left some very nice comments on my blog concerning the death of Cia and also made wonderful comments on her blog (here) about why we choose to go through the things that we do. I would like to say thank you. As the week progresses, I find myself able smile more and cry less. I find this as a positive sign that I am able to remember the great moments and hurt less over the empty void.... But the reason I write this, is not to reminisce on Cia, but to commend those that adopt older or animals in need. This is a far more noble act than adopting a puppy. There are many people out there that take in animals that no one really wants. And if not for these great people, no one would.... When I went to adopt my cat from a shelter, there were a couple of rooms just for cats with special needs. Things such as respiratory problems or feline AIDS (not like human AIDS) are what kept these cats from the general population and from being adopted. These animals, if they are so lucky to go into a shelter, will spend many of their remaining days in seclusion and then be put to sleep. There are many people out there that are able to care for these types of animals. I have a great respect for those who can and do. We often turn a blind eye to those animals in need of rescue. How many were distraught over all the animals left without homes after Katrina hit Louisiana? There are many people all around the country that took in animals from that horrible catastrophe. It is very commendable and I truly respect these people. Had I the money to support another animal, my home would have had a few more additions! But more to the intent of this blog....Older dogs have the least likely chance of leaving a shelter. Can you imagine going from a happy home where you love someone, to a cold place where no one cares? I cannot, and to those people who open their hearts and homes to them....thank you! |
I think Pam said it best with this..."Heaven - all the animals that ever loved you will be waiting at the gate!". If they are not there, then I don't want to go!! (http://auntpama.blogspot.com/)
Remember...It is not just humans who suffer by human hands....
posted by Sonya @ 3/09/2007 03:04:00 PM, ,
Tell Me You Didn't Say Goodbye.....
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
My little girl is gone. My Mom and Stepdad were with her when she took her last breath, never letting her feel alone in those last moments or that we'd forget her. She was supposed to beat the odds...we were supposed to say they don't know everything and go out for that morning run. Why couldn't they be wrong this time?? This isn't supposed to be this hard.
Many would say that she was just a dog...but that she was not. She was my comfort when I gave up one life to start another. She was my running partner, my passenger seat navigator and the one that could make you feel better in any circumstance. Trips were fun just because of her enthusiasm. I can't begin to explain how much of an empty spot has been left in our lives. Home doesn't seem like home without her. How do you say goodbye to something that is such a part of your life, that you can't remember the days when she wasn't there. This is Cia......
Possessions....
There were no fine lines...she owned everything. From the towel to the cats themselves. She may not want it this moment, but if you do....then she really does. Apparently all things that move (and somethings that do not) were hers. That chair by the window will always be her lookout point. And if you are so rude as to put the blinds down, you will not forget again in the near future. If you happen to sit there....you will soon move.....you can only stand a dog's butt in your face for so long and she knew this. It didn't matter how many times you pushed her down, her stamina is greater than yours.
Food....
She may not want it, but you can't have it. If it's there for the taking, then she takes it, but puts it away where you can't have it. She hid and 'buried' (carpet and hardwood floors apparently make things invisible) everything and anything in all corners of the house, RV and yard for the future. It's almost as if she lived through the depression and was waiting for the bottom to drop out. I must admit....that under no circumstances would she eat eggs. She hates them. If you tricked her to take a bite, she just opened her mouth and let them fall out, waiting for whatever came next.
Adventures...
It didn't matter if we were going to the mailbox or Maine, she was up for the ride. She was a very obedient dog...well sort of. You could get her to go into the backseat, but she just turned right around and came back up to the front seat. She fully expected you to move you arms and make a place for her on the front seat. You were to hold her if you were rude enough to take her seat. That is her place and that is that. And again, her stamina is greater than yours, she will sit in the front seat.
RV Trips....
She lived for those moments that we were all were packed up and ready for the open road. Her anxiety started the minute you opened the RV door. She was so afraid that you were going to leave without her, she didn't leave the fence in the backyard and barked herself hoarse. When the trip finally came, she bounded out of the house, up the RV stairs and took over her place on the dashboard looking straight ahead. How could they possible go without the dashboard navigator. She was even kind enough to let us all know when the curves were coming by starting the lean a little early. After the trip was underway, she checked all her food stashes in the corners just to make sure she had enough for emergencies and quickly returned to the dashboard.
The Golden Arches......
Never before have I seen a dog get so excited for the McDonalds golden arches. My little sister used to take her with her to McDonalds. Cia soon associated golden arches with a small piece of heaven. When passing them, you could almost hear her say that you missed the turn in. She loved them and got into position to speak with the drive-thru operator. This was her job. She wanted those fries and cheeseburger that came in that magic wrapper. She was patient enough to carefully separate the buns and remove the top bun containing the pickle and onions. The rest was history.
Leaving her in the car....
If you made this mistake....you soon found out why this was a mistake. She knew exactly where the horn was and she wasn't afraid to use it. She enjoyed finding the button and standing on it. Whether it was the RV, the CRV or any other car. You leave her.....you're going to hear it. And if you even think about coming out of that store without a beef jerky, then you might as well turn right back around and get it, because she wasn't getting out of the driver seat until you did. That is just the way things were....no use fighting it.
Kisses.....
I truly believed she lived to give these. If the one goal God gave her when she was born...it was to give as many kisses as possible. She had a way of sneaking them in. She liked the quick kiss while you weren't paying attention. She had a great way of slipping them in when you turned your head to talk to someone in the car. Just a quick peck and then back to her seat. When she really wanted to let you know how much she cared, she would inch toward you and when you said no...she'd just stare...mere inches from your face until you couldn't stand it anymore.
The Hello....and a quick game of hide-and-seek.....
Cia loved my mom with an undying, unending love. There was nothing that made her happier than Grandma coming home. She waited at the window until she pulled in, the ran to the door and screamed at the top of her lungs when Grandma walked in the door. And just in case Mom didn't get the message, Cia would run as fast as she could all around the house and out the doggy door. Then she would follow Grandma into the bedroom and run out again. While she was out, Grandma would hide and Cia would search for her. They did this each and everyday and they were inseparable until it was time to go to bed. And don't even think about moving the stool she used to get into bed.....
Her Protector...
Marty (Stepdad) took care of her better than anyone else could. Cia loved him with everything she had. He cared for her so much that she looked to him in those last moments. She knew how much he loved her and would have done everything to protect her. They spent many hours together on the weekends out in the backyard doing the regular chores...and nothing made Cia happier. In those snowy days in Chicago, Cia had a hard time running in the deep snow. She would have to hop like a rabbit and it made her so cold that she couldn't be out there very long. So, Marty made her a maze of shoveled snow so she could run around them and enjoy being outside. It was not just one or two tunnels, but many all over the backyard. She loved them. He took care of her.....
Her Toys....
They were just that....hers. You were in not, any circumstance, allowed to touch them. We loved to buy her toys. She got so excited, especially if they talked to her. It's almost as if they were talking back and she couldn't stand for that. She would rip out the recorder and then proceed to remove all the stuffing. Even after it was just a shell...it was still hers. She gathered up all her toys and put them in a pile in the backyard. She then proceeded to lay on top of the pile so that no one could touch any of her toys. Whether cat, human, or some animal crossing within yards of her toys in the backyard....you were not allowed near her toy pile. Many afternoons were spent spreading her toy pile around the yard and watching her frantically trying to pile them all up again so she could lay on them.
Sleeping arrangements.....
She was going to sleep and you were going to make arrangements. She snored due to a breathing problem...but that was your problem not hers. If she wanted ample room and possibly a pillow (depending on her mood) ....you had to deal with it. Again, the stamina issue came into play. She would win and she knew it.
Together....
Cia wanted us all together at all times. She didn't like it when the family was in different spots in the house. If you were in the basement and Mom and Marty were upstairs, then she whined at the top of the stairs until you came up. She would win, she knew you could only handle so much of that. She wanted her family together....
Waiting for us to get home....
There was nothing greater than someone coming home. When one got home, it was off to waiting for the next. She loved Grandma coming home and then expected Grandpa. When that happened, her world was somehow coming together. When Marty went away on business trips Cia would not sleep. Instead, she would sit up in bed and just stare at my Mom like she chased him away or something. It's almost as if she had an accusatory expression and somehow made Grandpa go away. Life didn't get better than when everyone was home. When Mom would tell her I was coming home, she would go and check the window waiting for me to come in the door over and over again until I finally arrived. Family is what mattered most....
Love......
She loved her family and we loved her more than I can ever express. She was a child to us. She was what you came home for. She brought a life to that house that I can't describe by listing some of her unique qualities. I loved her more than I can possibly explain in words and the loss has left such an empty hole that I don't know how to fix it. So, this is for someone that has given my family so much in the last four years that I don't know how to say 'Goodbye'. She has taken a part of my heart and left a pain that I can't seem to deal with. For Cia.....having her made everything a little better.....
Labels: Animals, Death, Dogs, Love, Pain
posted by Sonya @ 3/06/2007 09:07:00 PM, ,
Billy
Friday, January 26, 2007
Growing up we had about 7 acres of land and I did my best to fill all those acres with as many animals that I could find. I was one of those people that tried to save the world. This started from a very young age and continues to this day. I have a weakness! There are so many animals in my past that I will never forget. I have had so many good memories that still make me laugh even to this day. Here is one my favorites. The most memorable to the entire family was our goat that was so much more than just a goat. His name was Billy (ok..so I wasn't creative). He came with a girlfriend goat that we named...yes you guessed it..Nana. Anyway.... Billy and Nana arrived in the back of a car in a big box with only their heads sticking out. Billy was small, dark brown with big floppy ears and big eyes. He was the love of our life back then. See, we never had goats, so Billy was not treated as a goat. When we got Billy, we were building our house. Since we did everything ourselves, the building went slow. The goats had the right to go anywhere they wanted. Nana did, Billy was no mere goat and hung out with his own kind...the humans. At any given time, he was hanging around with someone trying to find a way to irritate them. When no one was available, he irritated the dogs. Billy liked to play the staring game. He would start at a distance and then slowly move closer. This very much irritated my dog Rags. He was so successful, Rags was nice enough to remove part of his ear. Billy just had a way of knowing what would push your buttons...and then he stood on them. His favorite game was block the door when you were trying to carrying things. When the basement was done and the second floor was started, we used a ramp to carrying in supplies. Billy understood this and stood sideways on the ramp so as to not let anyone pass. He really like this game. He felt this was a good use of his time. When that was not fun anymore, he particularly liked the nail game. We bought nails in 5-gallon buckets because it was more cost-effective. So, you have a big bucket of nails sitting there. Billy took it upon himself to remove each nail from the bucket and place it on the floor...nail by nail, bucket by bucket for hours on end. Every nail, until the bucket was empty. In the beginning, his dedication was funny, but this soon just became irritating. When that lost it's fun, he would stand on the wood pile that you were trying to remove wood from. That was a particular favorite. King of the hill was a way of life for him. Billy kept himself busy. If you were not careful, he would drink your beer and eat your cigarettes just for fun. Well, as the house started to take shape and all was dried in, the doors went on. This upset Billy very much. He could no longer check on the status of things. This made him very, very unhappy. So, to get even, he would block the door until you let him in and have a look around. He just wanted to see the progress and two minutes usually did the trick. When the doggy door went in, in the basement, he took it upon himself to use it at his convenience. That was a constant fight. It was very humorous when he became to big to use it and got stuck repeatedly. You could open the door and he would swing back and forth. He was a very intelligent goat, who didn't realize he was a goat. He honestly thought he was a dog and hung out with our dog Murphy. They got along pretty well, except when Billy tried to boss Murphy around. I think Billy realized his mistake when we had some wild dogs come through and try to kill everything. But luckily we had Murphy and Billy to chase them off. Of course, Billy realized his mistake when the dogs turned around to take advantage of lunch following them. The panic in his eyes let us know, he had finally found his place in the food chain and was terrified. He turned around and ran back to the house as fast as he could. Mom scared all the dogs off while Murphy was fighting all 7 dogs on his own (one of the many trips to the vet). Well, the house was coming along and starting to look like a real house. Mom put in bushes... Billly ate them.... and mom put in some more. So the cycle went until she had enough. So BIlly got a house. We built a house for him, we fenced in the backyard with an electric fence and bought him the best food and hay, but Billy was not happy. In fact, Billy was depressed. When we put him in the fence, he would just stand there. He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't drink and he looked so sad. It broke our hearts and he played us like a fiddle. Now my mom, the strict rule setter, take no crap woman that she is....caved faster than we could spell his name. As Billy got thinner and sadder, we tried everything to make him happy. In the end Billy won, when he became very thin and sick, we brought him in the house, laid him in front of the heater with a pillow and blanket while hand feeding him pancakes (that is what he preferred). And just because Billy was Billy, he would only drink Blueberry cool-aid. So, for days, Billy lived the high life. It was then time to return Billy to the pen...you guessed it.. he wouldn't eat, he wouldn't drink until he was freed. So.. went Billy's existence. He was fenced during the day, but let out when we got home. He only drank Blueberry cool-aid (there was no regular water for this member of the family). He was allowed short trips through the house every few weeks to note the progress and was given pancakes on weekends. The memories are endless, but some of my favorites are when he would walk us to the bus in the morning. The blackberry bushes down by the pond were great, so he was always up for a trip. Billy died many years later and left a big hole in our hearts. He was often labeled the son my mother never had. I miss him now even to this day.... |
Labels: Animals
posted by Sonya @ 1/26/2007 09:36:00 AM, ,
