We hadn’t intended to adopt Abbey; in fact we had come to an OBG adoption show precisely to adopt another cocker that we saw on their website – his name was “Old Roy”. Old Roy’s memoriam can be found on this same memorial site. As we were about to leave the adoption show, I stopped to speak to another OBG foster. As we were talking, a little black female cocker suddenly jumped up on her hind legs, put her front paws around me, looked up with those beautiful brown eyes, and implied “Take me away from all this”. I could not resist those eyes, and so Vicky and I decided that we could make room for “one more cocker” in our home. In effect, Abbey had adopted us and told us she wanted to come home with us. Abbey was unique to us because she truly “adopted us”.

Abbey came to us with a severe ear infection that the OBG vet had been treating. Further investigation revealed that apparently someone had rammed a stick down her ear canal and perforated the ear drum. We think this is what probably caused Abbey to become a stray in the first place. In her pain she apparently ran into the forest and rubbed her ear in the dirt, thus creating the basis for a massive infection. It took 2 surgeries to clear the ear canal of debris and small sticks and for all of the 7 ½ years we had her Abbey still suffered from a chronic ear infection due to this senseless act against an innocent animal. Even so, for a small cocker, Abbey was one tough little girl. One would expect that a dog with such an injury would be in constant pain but she never let you know that. Instead she contented herself by being by our side, day and night and she held her own with the other two cockers in our family. Her favorite place was snuggling up between us on our bed when we watched movies at night.

It was apparent that old age was catching up with Abbey in the past few months. Even so, Abbey gave so much love and affection to all who met her. Her illness peaked on Christmas Eve so we faced a terrible decision of what to do. We went to our emergency vet thinking it was time to say goodbye to Abbey but she surprised us by rallying and amazing everyone in the vet’s office. To have her with us over that last Christmas was the most wonderful gift she could ever have given us and we will always be grateful.

As we finally said goodbye to Abbey, we asked her to say hello to Old Roy at the Rainbow Bridge. Her last movement in our arms was to wag her little tail, possibly just a spasm from the vet’s drugs, but we believe it was her waving goodbye. We rejoice in knowing that Abbey is no longer in pain from her diseased kidneys and pancreas and that she is at peace with all the other animals who have been part of our family now residing at the Rainbow Bridge. We will truly miss our Little Miss Muffett, and we know that Abbey’s life was a Blessing to us all.

Larry & Vicky Eicher