In Loving Memory

Kelly
1990 to 8th March 2006

Today I had to put my dog to sleep. Her name was Kelly and she had been my constant companion for the last ten years. We got her as a rescue dog, and she was in such a sorry state. The first time I saw her she was crawling round on her belly and urinating every where because she was so afraid. I fell in love with her, but didn't take her home there and then because she was going to be a gift for my parents. I phoned them and told them about her, but they said that they couldn't take her if she hadn't been neutered in case their other dog tried to mate with her. He was a big collie dog, so it wouldn't have been a good idea. Once we got home I started to talk to my husband about the dog that we had seen and he said that if I wanted her I could have her. I phoned my friends straight away and they brought her up the following weekend. Now this was no little journey it was a 300 mile round trip, but they were willing to do it for me. We took her everywhere, even on holiday. When we went abroad, she went down to Yorkshire to stay with my parents and they loved having her as much as she loved being there.

I woke early this morning because I could hear a strange noise coming from the floor next to my bed. When I managed to get my eyes to work I found that it was Kelly and she wasn't well. The whole front end of her body was on the floor and she was sort of pushing herself along with her back legs. At first I thought she might have got her paws stuck in her collar because she has done that before today. Don't know how, but she managed it. Anyway, I picked her up and realised that she wasn't caught, but was very limp and not like her own self. Of course dh was in Glasgow on business and not able to get home. I phone the vet and she said that she would meet me if I got a cab down to the surgery. I got a cab and set off with my little pal in my arms. By this time her breathing had gone and she was foaming at the mouth and I knew in my heart that her time had come and I didn't want her to struggle any more. The vet agreed that she was too far gone and it would only be prolonging the inevitable if she tried to do anything. I didn't cry, well not much and stroked her whilst the vet injected her with this blue fluid. I removed her collar and asked the vet to handle all the necessary funeral details. I paid the bill and walked out of the building.
My oldest daughter was staying over at her boy friends house and I walked there and rang the bell. She came to the door and in I walked I sat down and told her what had happened and then broke down. She cried and I cried some more. I then had to go home and tell the other two. They were still in bed when I left and hadn't even known that I had gone. We all cried again.

I miss my baby and can't get my head round the fact that she isn't here any more. I keep looking for her in her favourite spot and my heart drops when I remember that she isn't there.

We've decided that we aren't going to get another pet. It's too damned hard to let them go.