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Daisy
In Memory of Daisy, 7/27/89 – 12/11/03
When our younger daughter was
12, we gave in to her request for a dog. She wanted a “real” dog, not
a toy-sized one. I drove an hour to the other side of town, picked her
up and put her in a cardboard box beside me on the front seat. Soon
this 8-week-old beagle/springer spaniel mix was on my lap. I was sure
she would wet on me, but we made it home dry!
I knew
nothing about dogs (even asked a neighbor to confirm we had a female)
and my husband never had one either. It was tough for awhile. |
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Daisy was stubborn, strongwilled, hard to train--an obedience school drop-out. She chewed
everything—furniture, plywood, chicken wire, cyclone fence, railroad
ties. She chased chipmunks, caught moles, even brought a bird into the
living room. She barked a lot. Many days my husband would come home to
find me in tears. Once I tried to keep her from going after the UPS
man; I fell and shattered my wrist.
Somehow we became best friends! My husband was a workaholic; our 2
daughters were busy with school and activities; I was a stay-at-home
mom. Many days we were together 24/7. We walked every morning, weather
permitting. When Daisy became calmer, she went everywhere possible
with us, local errands and all over the country—Grand Canyon, Mt
Rushmore, Chicago, South Carolina, the ocean, Maine, New Hampshire,
even Dollywood! She had her beds but of course ended up in ours. She
followed me all over the house.
She was 14 in July. She recovered from a bladder infection in
August. In early November she got vestibular disease. I slept on the
floor beside her for 5 nights, to help her up and down. She seemed to
be recuperating from that, even wanting her morning walk. She wasn’t
as interested in her dry food but still gobbling her wet food and any
“people food” she was allowed.
She had her annual exam on Dec 4. Dec 6 she was out of breath when
she followed me upstairs so we went right to the vet. He kept her to
treat her for internal bleeding. We visited her as often and long as
he permitted; he did everything within reason to save her; she had
immune mediated thrombocytopenia. It is a serious condition and her
age was against her. She waited for me and our daughter to arrive the
last morning, then went to the Bridge on her own.
It was truly the hardest day of my life. She was my child, my
companion, my best friend. I will always love and miss her.
Joan, Daisy’s mother always and forever
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