My Good Old Dog

JOLIE KLEIN NEWHOUSE

2000 - February 25, 2013

Jolie was a stray, about two years old, when she found my daughter's house and wouldn't leave the front stoop.  They had a dog and so they didn't feed her but she still wouldn't go away.

No chip, no signs around the neighborhood and no one looking for her.  I saw her and despite her low warning growl, I fell in love.  She stayed at my daughter's until our house was built and then I brought her home.  I told her she was pretty so many times, that her name became "Jolie."

She had probably been mistreated and then just dumped.  She made things difficult around here because she bared her teeth or growled and even snapped at friendly hands reaching out to her.  She dug under the fence I invested in in a different spot every day.  She learned how to get through an electronic fence.  But she never left for long.  I would find her curled up on our front porch, making no sound but just waiting for the door to open so she could come back in to us.

She followed me from from room to room for over 10 years, often being disturbingly in the way as she tried to figure out which way we were going.  She slept right next to my husband's side of the bed every night, but she parked under my desk all day long.

I loved her in spite of everything.

But she got old and had many body problems.  Most recently the vet wanted to remove part of her front paw because of an ugly tumor.  I just couldn't put her through it.  Her hips were giving out causing her to drag her back paw to the point of bleeding -- inside and outside the house.  We put a bootie on her.  

Sometimes she ran through the house like a puppy, chasing a toy or just acting goofy.  Other times I winced watching her back legs slide out from under her.

It was agonizing to watch her age and hurt.

I wished that she would just go to sleep one day and find a brand new happy puppy body.  With a wagging tail.  It didn't happen and we couldn't watch her get worse.

On Saturday we made a decision and yesterday we had to stop her pain.
But ours isn't gone yet.
Jolie is everywhere around the house and she is nowhere at the same time.

I'm thankful that I have a compassionate and caring family and friends who have made this very rough time easier for us.  I love you all.  I love you, Jolie.