Our dog Coco is living the last few days of her life. I have been carrying her up and down the stairs so that she is always near me and feels loved. As I am typing, I can hear her labored breathing and praying that when it is time that she goes quickly and painlessly.
It was a typical rainy day in Texas, twelve years ago. Our family decided to make our weekly trip to PetSmart to buy crickets, worms and dog food. You see, I have three boys and when they were younger, we had just about every reptile you can imagine at one point or another. At the time, we had our dog Tex who was a year old, a green, Vine Snake and a couple of turtles that we had rescued from near death on the street. So, on our way we went to the pet store, not realizing that we were going to be hit with one of the worst storms we had ever seen. Once we arrived at the pet store, which was about 20 minutes from our home, we realized that it was Pet Adoption Day. A day I always try to avoid at PetSmart. Don’t get me wrong, I love all animals, big and small. (I actually wanted to be a Veterinarian at one point but I knew that I would not be able to endure watching the family pet go through pain and suffering, so art was my path.) But I knew if we walked through the area where the dogs and cats are waiting to find their forever home that we would probably come home with a new family member. With all three of my boys in
tow, we cautiously walked through the dogs and immediately we saw her.
Our dog Tex was only a year old. She is a Rat Terrier and we chose her because her type of fur was suppose to be good with kids that have allergies. So when we walked in and saw a dog that looked so much like Tex, we knew we had to get her. Tex had been a wonderful addition to our home and I felt bad for her when the kids were at school because she seemed lonely. She needed a friend and the sweet, little dog at PetSmart looked like the perfect choice. They called her Freeway and when we tried to walk out the door with one of my kids holding the leash, the adoption lady ran over and yelled at us, stating that Freeway was a runner and wasn’t sure if she was the right dog for us. The ride home was also a little intense, you see our town had been hit with an unbelievable storm and the whole ride home, Freeway was shaking uncontrollably. There was lightning, lots of thunder, hard rain and intense wind. It was not a great day to bring a frightened dog into our home but that is exactly what we did. When we got home, she was still shaking and showing her teeth and I was not sure that we had made the right decision.
After about 24 hours, Tex and Coco (formerly known as Freeway) were best friends. They played nonstop, slept together, ate together and of course we took them for walks together. Twelve years later, they are still best friends and I am praying that Tex will be able to handle the loss of her dear friend and sister.
We lost Coco on Friday. I can’t stop crying. She was a sweet, loving dog and very far from being a runner. She would follow me all over the house and stay by my side, every second of the day. I am very blessed to have had her in my life! I love you Coco! May you rest in peace.
I’m so sorry Jennifer for your family’s loss. I’ve never been a dog owner (only fish have been the pets in my life) so I cannot even imagine the loss that you are feeling. Prayers are being sent for the pain to become less painful very soon.
Thank you so much Elaine! They truly are family members. Jackson and I both are really having a hard time accepting that she is gone. But we are looking through old pictures of Coco tonight and that is helping. Thanks so much for your kind words! Penn