My Girl

I don't know when she was born - but I think she came into my life in November of 1995. Half Chow - Half Sharpei, a little black puppy who looked rather like a potbelly piglet. She was on the carpet and as was my want I tried different names on her to see what would fit. I finally said "are you a Stinky Girl?" and with that she came right over and licked my face or hand in acknowledgment. It wasn't a pretty girlish name but that was who she became. Totally "Alpha" totally confident and in charge.

She would scare the unknowing with an incredibly fierce growl meant to keep all the other puppies in line. She had a side that only I saw. I think she wanted the grooming the tiny miniature puppies got and the attention, and the feeling of being oh so cute. So one time in her fifteen years I sent her for grooming and she came back with a bow and she was "oh so pleased!" I knew that as gruff as she seemed she still wanted the world to see her as an attractive female.

As she got older she came to trust me to take care of her. She no longer struggled when I took her in the car. She knew it would be something good. A romp in the doggy park or more often making her feel better by going to the vet.

She was a trooper and had been suffering for a long time with arthritis - I didn't know how bad it actually was. She hadn't been able to jump on my bed for awhile -
or the sofa. Last week it was bad and she had trouble sitting and getting comfortable - it was awkward. I saw her pain which she tried to hide with a growl every now and then. When I saw the other dogs try to dominate her and her last valiant attempts to keep them at bay - wasn't working - I knew I had to protect her dignity and respect and pride. Because she trusted me to take care of her and make her comfortable and ease her pain.

I took her to the veterinarian on Monday March 8th for the last time. I lifted her into my car. I held her face when they gave her the injection and I walked away in tears. I did this for you Stinky Girl because you trusted me to make things better.

I know you would have liked to spare me the pain of your loss but that is impossible.
Here's to "My Stinky Girl" a very special dog.