My Beloved Laynie Pooh Dog

by Mary and Charlie
(Rocklin CA)

Laynie

She wasn't my first choice. It was her name that caught my attention - Laynie - My mother's name. A name that you don't hear often. I knew then that it was fate - that she was meant for me.

My other dog, Mellie, hated her from the moment they met. Where Mellie was sweet and shy and obedient, Laynie was the exact opposite - outgoing, rambunctious, and into everywhere at once. Her mouth was into everything...if it could be chewed and mutilated, it was fair game.

It took a month for Mellie to warm up to her. No matter how much Laynie tried to cuddle up to her, Mellie would coldly walk away. It didn't help that Laynie would playfully bite and pull every moving part on Mellie's body. But it did happen - that bonding process for both Mellie and I.

Mellie taught her to go potty outside - to walk well on a leash. What right and left was and to respect me. I taught her eventually not to chew, to love walks and to love me. She taught me everything else. How a puppy smelled. How her ear had a funny way of flipping over backwards, giving her a what can I get into now look, her silly grin, her large bark, her smile with the bottom lip hanging down, her funny little eyebrow marking above her left eye. How to laugh when I would come home to shredded paper...everywhere.

We all grew up together. I added another Whippet sister, Jaime, and we all agreed that Charlie, my husband, was the one for us.

Laynie became a part of me, a part of who I had become. It became routine to have them there always waiting for me. Our long walks would turn into rabbit chasing, hare raising, deer fearing fun, and the most beautiful thing was to see Laynie, Mellie and Jaime running thru the grass in full pursuit of something that they had accidentally run into. She was too kind-hearted ever to catch one. It was her big heart that we loved. It was her big heart that eventually would fail her.

The vet had told me she had a slight heart murmur when I had her spayed at 16 weeks old. I didn't worry to much about it. I thought that she would outgrow it. Life then was young, we were young and by then I loved her.

In late August of this year, when Laynie was eight, she started to cough. She had coughed before but never with such intensity. Deep inside, I knew that this was not good, and dreaded to take her to the vet. Her heart murmur, she never outgrew. But I hoped and prayed that maybe, it was, please oh please, let it be something else.

The vet told me her heart, her beautiful big heart, the one that loved everyone and everything, was failing. It could be days or months. Charlie and I were in a state of disbelief. But we decided to take Laynie and "the girls" on a road trip to our favorite beach. I walked her to all her favorite places and I prayed for a miracle.

I bought her heart products, every herb that was good for her, and I made the decision to take her off the medication that the vet had prescribed. It made her sick, she stopped eating, and other horrible side effects.

And I prayed for a miracle... I put her on a schedule, vitamins, food, I started to cook for her. And I watched her grow thin and stop chasing rabbits... and I prayed for a miracle.

On November 30, Saturday, I took her and Mellie and Jaime for their walk. We didn't go far. Laynie seemed to enjoy it but the luster was gone from her eyes and she was so thin... and I prayed for a miracle.

When we got home, I tried to feed her, but she didn't want to eat so I laid down beside this beautiful, wonderful creature and I told her how much I loved her, how much she had brought to all our lives - to my life. How she needed to wait for me and I would come for her eventually. I kissed her... and I prayed for a miracle.

Laynie died Sunday morning. I woke up early to go see how she was and she was gone. I held her in my arms for the last time and called out to Charlie. We both held her in our arms and cried. I kissed her on her forehead and left my lipstick there so that she would know how much I loved her. Our Pooh dog was gone.

Our loss is an empty place in our hearts and in our home. Her dog dish still stands with the others. Her leash still hangs on its hook. I see her still laying around but it is only my imagination. Charlie thought he heard her bark late one night.

This big empty place in my heart cries out for her...and I prayed for a miracle.

And my miracle was answered. God did not allow her to suffer long - he did not allow me to suffer. To watch her grow too thin, to hear her hacking cough which was a knife in my heart, and to have to make that hard decision that we pet owners never want to make.

No - he answered my prayers. For he took my girl softly with love. He allowed us to say goodbye. He let her die at home where she was safe and loved. He had answered my prayers... for he brought that beautiful creature into my life, into Charlie's life and into our hearts. We are better people for loving her.

Laynie would have been 9 on December 15th. We miss her so......