Our family had to recently make the decision to put our 10 year old golden retriever/lab mix LILY down.
After
noticing some inconsistencies and abnormalities for a few weeks my Dad
took Lily to the vet only to learn she had multiple tumors inside of her.
This news rocked our family – how could our sweet Lily be sick, there was no way!?
My
brother and I both came home that weekend to be by her side and give
her lots of loving. It was hard to accept that things were going to
happen so quickly, especially because she looked great and was acting so
normal. A lot of tears were shed that weekend and Lily received some
really great love and attention (as if this wasn’t the norm every time
we saw her).
As
the vet had predicted her health began to quickly decline and on a
Saturday her breathing was becoming extremely labored. My parents had to
make the tough call, as we had all agreed we didn’t want Lily to
suffer.
As
you can well imagine our whole family took losing Lily very hard. If
you've ever had a dog you know they become part of the family. Their
unconditional love, excitement when you walk in the door and wet kisses
are unmatched.
Lily
was a boat dog, we couldn't keep her out of the water, she sensed when
we were getting close to throwing in the anchor and got super excited.
She
was a city dog, going into Philadelphia often to live with my brother for
periods of time and strutting her stuff down the street.
Lily was a vacuum cleaner, helping clean up the floors before, during and after dinner.
She
was also quite the doggie athlete. She had the frisbee thing down and
could catch just about anything in her mouth (food was her favorite).
But
most of all Lily was a lover. There was nothing better than being
greeted by Lily at the door. Her excitement was like no other, tail
wagging, crying with joy and circling you for love and attention.
Lily
had some unique markings on her that I will always remember. The tip of
her tail was white, she had a white patch on her forehead and a freckle
on her nose (I swear).
My
dear sweet Lily, you were such an important part of our family and you
will forever be missed. We hope doggie heaven is full of peanut butter,
tennis balls, socks and a pool for you to swim in. Thank you for bringing such joy (and wet kisses) to our lives for 10 great years.