A Dog's Story

It's been pretty tough this month. Our beloved Daisy Belle got ill the first week of February. I took her to emergency within 24 hours when she stopped eating....she became lethargic. Vets ran lots of tests and could only find that she was dehydrated due to not eating the day before. So they gave her a dose of hydration under her skin. The next day she was no better and had a seizure so I took her to our Vet in a hurry. I was very worried and very grateful my son and daughter-in-law were here to drive with me.
They decided to keep her over night and run some tests....give her a constant IV and some anti-nausea medicine. Two days later she had another seizure and she was gone. Hard for me to even type this....long story short...our hearts were broken. We lost our little girl and she was just 6 months old. The only thing in all the tests was that she had a tick disease that was very treatable and was getting antibiotics for it. It may always remain a mystery.
I had to tell Dad that afternoon when he came home from the Senior Center. He asked where she was so I saw the opportunity to tell him then. He just sat there....then began to cry....he asked what happened. Then later that evening after he went to bed, I heard him crying. I went into the room and asked him what was wrong and he just said, "Daisy." I started to cry too and told him that we couldn't do anything for her....the vet couldn't help her. It was just to be. To make me feel better, Rod had told me earlier than Daisy was taken because they needed a puppy to be with all those children that were killed in the Kindergarten class that was on the news. So when Dad was crying, Rod related that to Dad. Dad really didn't know about the story but he cried anyway.
I have cried every single day for that dog. I knew that we had to get another one and right away.
I ended up getting sick with a abcess tooth AND if that wasn't bad enough I got the flu all at the same time. Rod had to do it all for Dad for about 10 days. Chris came on Mondays and Tuesdays to help with Dad too. I was miserable....crying for my puppy all the time and trying to get well. I was very depressed.
However, the story does get better. Dad mentioned Daisy a couple more times but he didn't cry anymore. I was glad of that because I didn't want him to get depressed.
So as I laid in the bed recovering I started searching for a new dog. I was pretty sure I was going to get another Beagle but I was scared of getting one that looked like Daisy. I saw a few very close to her and steered away from it because I thought it would make me more sad.
So as I looked for puppies I found it to be harder than it was when we got Daisy. Some were far away.....then one day I was looking at Beagle Rescue for Oklahoma. One little gal caught my eye.....she had the eyes of Bubbles, our Dalmatian that we lost in 2003 due to old age...and she was a Beagle, part Dachshund AND Jack Russell. Oh she was the cutest dog. Black and white and long legs. She even had some spots.
I called the foster Mom and we made arrangements to meet at the Petsmart where she was bringing in a couple more dogs up for adoption. Well......one look at "Sadie" which was the name they gave her and I was pretty sure this little gal was the one. So after about 30 minutes of visiting with her....seeing how she took to us.....I told the foster Mom that we wanted her. To my surprise she told me I could take her NOW....NOW? Wow, that was great. I told her I wasn't expecting that but she said she KNOWS when people are what they say they are. I had showed her photos of our home, the backyard...the doggie door for her and her bed that day. I brought them with me so she would know we were prepared. I told her she could come visit her anytime. She had told us that she was almost ready to adopt her if she didn't get a home that weekend....she said she had her since November and had become attached quickly. However, she was very happy that she was going to a good home and would not worry about her.
First thing I did was to change her name....Sadie was okay but not my choice so I gave her the most appropriate name....she was my saving Grace.....so her name is Gracie Belle. She has been here since last Saturday and already very much at home. She LOVES the doggie door and goes out all the time to stand on the patio and let Buck, the old Lab next door know that she is there. Very smart, she is. She has taken to all of us....so many little things she does that tells me she is in the right place.
Dad loves her too but he is always calling her Queenie....I think that was a dog he had either has a kid or when he and Mom were first married. She jumps up to sit with Dad sometimes. She likes her space....she has long legs like a fawn and she loves to stretch out when she sleeps.

She is in her Forever Home.