Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Pawprints on my Soul...

Sixteen and a half years ago, this puppy came into my life, six months before the baby did. We learned that we should always keep pregnant women - me, at least - away from boxes of puppies. Who knew the post office could be such a dangerous place? Go in to mail a letter, come out with an armload of squirmy black puppy.

Luckily, she turned out to be a wonderful dog for our family.

When my oldest was little (umm, like in the photo above... now he's 16 and 6'1") he couldn't say Montana. Not even close. He called the dog "Bana." So we nicknamed her "Montana Banana" so that his pronunciation made a little bit of sense. The other two kids just figured that was her name all along.


She's had her ups and downs with her health. In 2000, we finally (finally!) figured out that her unexplicable weight loss was due to the fact that she'd swallowed a tennis ball... and needed surgery to remove it... She's had more neural episodes than I can count, although the vet insists dogs don't have strokes, but there it is. And tumors? Oh yeah. In the last few years she's been lumpier than any dog has a right to be. But the last few weeks have been different, each day a little harder. This morning she just couldn't stand up anymore.

It was time.

We're going to miss you, Montana. Hope you're up in dog heaven chasing rabbits and squirrels and playing with your old friends, all of whom you somehow outlived. I hope they were all there waiting for you and there was a big dog party in your honor.

Montana Banana
May 27, 1995 - January 17, 2012

7 comments:

  1. I'm sure everyone is missing her, maybe she's meeting up with our "Toby" at the big dog park..

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm sorry for your loss, Katie. It is so hard to lose a pet. We just lost our best bunny, Buddy, at age 7 1/2. Very hard indeed. Thinking of you.....

    xoxo,
    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Five weeks ago today I had to say those same words - It's time - the words we dread but know are coming. That doesn't make it any easier, especially when our little ones have been with us for so long and almost every aspect of our daily life revolves around them. The only thing that makes it a little better is knowing that our beautiful creatures are not in pain. I miss my Beauregard more than anything & I know you miss your baby too 'cos in our hearts they will always be our babies.

    Hugs....
    Pam :(

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sorry for your loss, Katie. We had to do the same thing last June with our greyhound. It's never an easy decision.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So sorry for your loss, Katie and family. It is amazing how pets can just be such an integral part of family life. I spent weeks looking for my Loki in his favorite spots and checking his water dish after he died last fall. I am grateful for my vet for making a difficult (and in our case, unexpected) decision easier. I am sure that Montana had a wonderful 16 years with your family.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes, like Vicki said : maybe she is meeting up with 'Toby'. . .and my ole'Charlie and Rusty and Lucky in the dog park in the sky. I remember when I met her at the Grey Bonnet. . .and I'm glad I got to see her one more time this past November and tell her what a good dog she was. And she was.oxox Aunt Kate

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks, Aunt Kate, and thanks to everyone for your kind words, sympathy and empathy. I know this is something almost everyone can relate to, and has been through. But it's still never easy.

    Our other two dogs have adjusted, and finally stopped looking for her. A few times the lab across the street has started barking, and it's taken us aback - he sounds just like Montana.

    I'm sure she's at peace, and happy to be back with her old friends.

    ReplyDelete

Go ahead - leave a comment! You know you want to! But don't be Anonymous - that'll just get you deleted. And who wants that?