grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Every Dog Needs a Girl

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Lucy went to the doctor yesterday morning for her annual doggie checkup. Upon arrival, she appointed herself greeter and welcomed each dog that came inside the waiting room, until it was her time to go back. She was friendly and in charge, tugging as far as her leash would allow, visiting with two pomeranians and a poodle, as well as each human escort. 


As we waited our turn, a lady walked up to the checkout counter opposite the waiting room. Her distress was evident as she sobbed while waiting for her bill. The mood in the waiting room immediately changed as everyone became sympathetic, remembering the raw pain of losing a beloved pet. We all sat there with that awful lump in our throats – I think even the dogs knew the atmosphere had changed. By the time she left, nearly everyone in the waiting room was teary. I thought about that lady later in the day and remembered all too well being on that awful side of the counter.

Kelsey and Belle

Kelsey was not quite 4 when she carefully picked Belle up out of a big box at the SPCA where she had been left. She was a tiny black ball of fluff – and she looked scared. She was part of our family for many years and died a few weeks before Kelsey left for college. It was devastating. The pain absolutely knocked us to our knees.


Pets bring such unhindered joy to our lives. They have no idea it’s a bad thing to toilet paper the entire downstairs, but fully understand when we are sick. Taking hold of our hearts, they wiggle their way into the family pretty quickly. Annabelle was absolutely gleeful to see us when we returned from Lucy’s doctor appointment – I thought her tail might shake right off. It was her first experience home alone and in dog time, we had been gone forever. 

Lucy and Lucy
Last night our friend Lynn – who lives a few houses over – called to tell us that her Schnauzer – also named Lucy – had been hit by a car the day before. We adopted our Lucy’s almost at the same time. They were the same color. They were friends. My heart breaks for their loss. Losing a pet is the gut wrenching downside of loving a pet.
talya

Musical Pairings:

Cat Stevens, “I Love My Dog”
Elvis Presley, “Old Shep”

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Comments

  1. Awe Talya 🙁 I’m squeezing Amy and Arwen a little harder – I hope both Lucy and Annabelle continue to stay healthy and keep y’all on your toes when they decide to redecorate – love and prayers for you and your neighbor, and the lady at the vets office! Xoxo
    – Carly

    • Talya, early into my marriage, Kyle and I bought our first home. The day we got the keys to our house, we also gave the keys to our hearts to a pair of great dane puppies, Apollo & Athena. A month after moving into our home and getting our pups, I discovered I was pregnant. I had crazy hormones and these dogs were my children even after our son was born. We raised these dogs from puppies along with our infant son. Sadly, as is the case with many Danes, they lived short lives. Athena passed first, only 4 years old. Apollo wasn’t the same after we lost Athena. For weeks, he waited at the front door as if he was waiting for her to come home. We gave him as much one on one time as possible, but unfortunatly 4 months after her passing, we came home to find him with no explanation as to what caused his death. I still think he died of a broken heart. He had never been without his sister. We have since adopted two new dogs, and we love them, but they will never replace that spot in our hearts where Apollo and Athena live.

  3. Why do people blog? Is it a need for validation? I believe i would start a blog if I thought it would fill a void and make me believe that maybe someone or anyone is listening.

    • Each person probably has a different reason. I started a blog because I love to write. I am working on a book and blogging helps me with the book. It helps to get the ideas flowing. I would like to blog or write articles for magazines and to do that a body of work is needed. But primarily I do it because I enjoy it and now I have the time to devote to it. It’s no different than any other hobby and words of encouragement are always nice.

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