We said good-bye to
our lovely "granny dog" NIKKI on Friday night, March 17, 2006.
Nikki was dealt the
worst of blows: her pregnant "mom" died of a heart attack, and her
"dad" left her in his empty home to start a new life in late
2003. These catastrophes would be unbearable to any dog...but who
can doubt these losses were devastating to a senior dog?
DAWG recognizes the
value of a dog's life at any age, and so we took Nikki in. We
expected a robust dog, but saw that Nikki had lost significant
weight and was listless. Luckily, Nikki attracted a wonderful
foster mom who couldn't care less that Nikki was no longer a
youngster. After only a month, Nikki's eyes were shining, and
much of her weight has been regained. Nikki turned out to be a
hilarious, happy dog with a zest for life. Nikki's favorite thing
was to make you laugh, and how she did it was to do figure
eight's through and around your legs.
DAWG
covered Nikki's medical expenses including ongoing blood work for
hepatitis related to autoimmune disease. Her condition wasn't
curable, but she thrived with medical management. Nikki was too old
to be adopted, but it didn't matter because she was in the home that
would adore her for as long as she lasted.
Nikki's time
came when she could no longer stand up. When she started vomiting,
it was obvious that it was time for her to be released. Nikki went
from this life to the next peacefully, in the arms of her foster
mom. She was loved until her last breath. Nikki was a lucky dog, and
we were fortunate to have her. And we bet she's teaching figure
eight's to her new friend on Rainbow Bridge.
