You Were So Loved Tootie!!!!

by MKL
(Minneapolis, MN)

As we sit and mourn your loss, I want you to know how much you were sso loved by all of us.

You entered our lives 11 years ago and stole all of our hearts.
We took you everywhere we went. You got two walks a day for years and definitely got one walk a day until the day you died.

You were an anxious dog that needed a lot. You needed to always be near us, you needed to eat, walk, sit out on the porch, out in the yard. You would want to come right back in because you couldn't be alone - you needed to be near one of us.

At times, we thought it would be easier for us if we gave you away, but couldn't bear to do that to you or to us. I made a commitment you would be with us until your last breath. We were not going to get rid of you or give you to someone else who could never love you like us.

You loved our long walks when you were younger and we were younger. We would take you to the river, the dog parks, long walks at night before bed that would wear you out.

As the kids grew older, you aged and we aged, it became harder to get two walks a day and our big long walks on the weekend. But I made sure you almost always had at least one walk.

You were overweight. We fed you out of guilt and because you could never eat enough in your mind.

As kids moved out, it was hard for you. You were alone all day until we came home from work. This was so hard for you. When we came home we were tired. You wanted your walk. I made sure you were walked even thoough it was a chore at times, especially in -80 degree weather.

You were in constant need of attention. You whined a lot as you got older. A lot of times it seemed like for no reason, after getting a walk, being fed, watered. Sometimes you just wanted to play. Your vision and hearing became worse and it became difficult for you to get up and down stairs. We had to lift you in and out of the car.

When you began to cough and choke up your food this past week, I thought it was kennel cough. When it became worse and you wouldn't eat and struggled to breathe, I took you into the vet. They told me it was cancer or problems with your heart and they were sorry that the prognosis was not good.

I cried and had to make one of the most difficult decisions in our lives. You wanted to leave the room get out of that vet hospital. We took one last walk. You laid on your stomach on the floor. I sat right next to you on the floor, stroking your beautiful red fur as I cried. I told you how much you were SO loved by all of us.

They shaved your paw and placed the needle in. You looked behind you and than peacefully placed your head on your paws and went to sleep. I told you again, how much you were SO loved by all of us.