Saying Goodbye to a Good Friend

We lost Nipper on Sunday. She's been having more difficulty with things like jumping up and handling treats that are a little rich. The last couple days she was alternately hot and cold and, in retrospect, I'm not sure she ate very much.

On Saturday night, she had a particularly rough evening and we decided to take her to the vet on Sunday afternoon -- fully expecting that he would suggest putting her to sleep. But she didn't make it that long. We returned from worship to find that she had curled up on my coat (accidentally left out) and gone to sleep... for good.

We'll miss her. A lot. But I think that was a better way for her to pass than in a vet's office. If we left our coats out, or even a warm shirt, she would always be found sleeping on it for both the warmth and, probably, the familiar scent of her people. About the only way I think it could have been better is if we had been there.

But that maybe was better too. I have no doubt we would have rushed her away from familiar surroundings to a place she didn't want to be.

She was our first dog as a married couple. The Chick carried her home at 3 years old. And I believe God hand picked her just for us and have believed that for years. She's traveled across the country with us and lived on both coasts with us. She convinced both a seasoned stray cat and an SPCA cat who came to her clawing and spitting that they could be best friends. And she was kind enough to take a bratty little min pin under her wing. When I say she'll be missed, it doesn't even begin to cover it.