Tribute to Sable...

It was right before Christmas, 1992.

My puppy, Sable, a three month old sharpei, was acting weird that night. She was incoherent. Just wandering the room along the walls. She wouldn't respond to my calls, to jump on the bed, to eat, to sit, nothing!

Finally she fell asleep but kept waking up wandering around my room bumping into things.

I called the ER and they told me to bring her in because I couldn't open her mouth and her eyes were dilated.

I brought her to the Animal ER and they examined her and told me she may have had a stroke and her brain was affected. She finally fell asleep (after hours of non-stop wandering and bumping into things) and I carried her to my car. I sat outside my house, stroking her back and letting her sleep. I was crying most of the time because I was scared of losing her and also feeling sad for her. It was 7 Am when she finally woke up in my car.

I got to the Vets at 10AM. And they did a series of tests and called me to let me know she had (from what I remember) a shunt in her heart or something. The recommendation was to put her to sleep.

I went to see her at 4:00 PM. She was completely normal. She was so happy to see me. She was jumping, licking and just wanting to go home. The doc asked me if I wanted to spend some time with her.

For thirty minutes we played in the examining room. I held her tight. I held her sooo tight. I held her one last time and then told the doc he could take her.

They took her away. I watched as she whimpered on the shoulder of the person carrying her away. She was staring at me, wondering why I wasn't taking her home.

I broke down in tears when the doors closed behind her.

It was toughest thing I've ever went through in my entire life.

I tear up just thinking about that last moment I had with her.