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Sarah
Born February 5, 1998
It began as a desire for redemption. I had grown up with a cocker spaniel mix-- a loving, intelligent, and obedient all-black dog named Blackie, whom I had loved for my entire childhood, but whom unfortunately I had not been able to be there for at the end of her long life (I was sleeping in another room when she passed away in her sleep downstairs, but always felt I should have known that her dry cough that morning was a sign that the end was near, and been more attentive to her.). I desperately wanted to "redeem" myself in my own eyes, and give care to another dog for all her days, right up until the very end. Perhaps it was Blackie herself who sent Sarah to me.
In Jan 2007, I was battling chronic health problems and decided that fostering a dog would give structure and meaning to my life, as well as help fill my open days. When Walt, the kindly volunteer for OBG, brought 9-year old Sarah into my living room one afternoon, the first words he said were, "Look Sarah, there she is. There's your new Mommy!" I was taken aback at first by the word, "Mommy" as I had had dogs before in my life but never referred to myself as their parent. When Sarah heard those words, however, she spun her head around and looked me right in the face, with a quizzical expression that asked, "Could it be true? Are you the one that will care for me now? Are you my new Mommy?" I thought I would be only a temporary foster, but the moment our eyes made contact that day, part of me knew I had just become Sarah's Mommy, and would remain so forever. I made it official and adopted her.
All-black with the grey around her face betraying her age, Sarah was a beauty, and had the relaxed, sweet nature of an older dog combined with joyful playfulness of a dog many years younger. She was wise and stubborn but at times also comical. During one occasion, when I heard Sarah rummaging around in the bathroom, I demanded that she come out at once, at which time she emerged, looking as if she had been rudely interrupted, with a string of dental floss hanging from both sides of her mouth. It seemed she was asking, Can't I finish flossing my teeth first? On several other occasions, Sarah would chase after a squirrel in our backyard, and always come back inside with a determined look that said, I almost had him, I'll get him next time! Sarah was also admittedly no fan of other dogs, her joy at barking and lunging at them matched only by her extreme love of eating (favorite food, carrots) and relished being the lone dog in our home. Even on her final morning, as we led her to the car to drive to the ER, Sarah, feeling sluggish and sick, perked up and stood at attention when she crossed the path of a dog on his morning walk. This was one of those rare occasions Sarah didn't feel like chasing after her fellow canine. She settled for throwing a dirty look the other dog's way instead.
After more than 12 and a half healthy and active years, Sarah's health had rapidly declined during the final 3 weeks of her life. She had persistent infections, swollen lymph nodes, an enlarged heart, and very severe liver problems. By the time we took her to the ER vet clinic on her final morning, Sarah had been to the vet 9 times in less than 3 weeks. Everything that we could do for her had been done, and she had given us every ounce of love she had to give. Although I had loved and cared for dogs before in my life, I had never known until Sarah that I could be a Mother to one. During her final moments of awareness, I stroked Sarah's fur, as she seemed anxious, and as the vet administered the final shot, I told her, It's ok Mommy's here. Mommy's right here, and with that, I said goodbye, as my little girl fell asleep.
Gillian Thomas (Mommy) & Sarah's wonderful Grandma, Janice
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