We said goodbye to our Lilly yesterday. She was the best dog, so sweet and smart. Our hearts are broken.
I remember the first night with her. We got her home, and everything looked so new to her. We eventually put her to bed. The next morning each step we walked down the stairs and towards her kennel a familiar but unflattering scent grew stronger and stronger. We were greeted by the happiest puppy…covered in poop. My mom instincts kicked in as I scooped up my baby and took her upstairs for a bath. Stef got the glorious job of gagging while he cleaned out the kennel.
Every day was an adventure with Lilly. She had her routine. It started in the morning with her visiting each of us in our rooms. She did that throughout the day, rotating who she hung out with, loving her belly rubs and time to play with toys. And she loved her toys. She’d bring them to us to play tug of war or fetch. She knew there would be a new toy for her under the Christmas tree, and she was as excited as a little kid when we opened her present.
Lilly loved her home and if we ever had to kennel her at the vet when we took a trip, she expressed her dissatisfaction with us. She would cry the whole way home, but with a cup of frosty paws, all was forgiven, and she was back to her old self. If we ran to the market for just a few minutes, we were greeted with Lilly wagging her tail and jumping around as if to say, “Yay! You’re finally home!”
Her illness came on quickly and caught us totally off guard. She had always been a happy, healthy dog. She went downhill fast. The vet tried everything he could, but Lilly just kept getting worse. There was no hope of recovery. With heavy hearts, it was time for her to go over the rainbow bridge. Stef and I cried as we wrote this. The house feels so empty now, but we smile with the memories our little dog…our Lilly Pad.
Stay groovy…
–Susie
Harmonious Groove 