Our Darling Maggiano, She Will Be Missed

            Well, I’ve long owed you a story on my adventures with our girl, little Wookie, and I promise to finish her story in the future.  First her story was delayed as I got ready for the holidays.  Thanksgiving with a visit from my family was wonderful until Dave got very ill the day after.  Then, thankfully, Dave improved and life went on as I prepared for our clinic Christmas Party both with Santa at All Paws and with my staff at our home.  Then there were gifts to wrap, packages to mail and Christmas cards to write. 

            Dave and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day visiting family in St. Louisand returned home to spend time with the doggies.  Our plan for the 26^th was to relax and open our Christmas gifts to each other and from out of town family and friends.  We were feeling very loved and very happy as we walked into our home last night and then everything changed.

            Our darling girlie, Maggiano Little Italy (named after a restaurant we love), an adorable Affenpinscher mix, had become suddenly very ill.  She had been battling a serious disease for over a year now, but she was feeling well when we left on Saturday afternoon.  In fact, as tiny as she was, she has always been the boss of her larger, wilder brothers.  She was Dave’s girl and followed him everywhere.  Dave loves all of our guys, but he loved Maggiano the best.

            I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of an Affenpinscher.  She is our first.  They call them the “monkey-faced dogs” and that is what she looked like.  I call her our “flying monkey” after the wicked witch’s crew on “The Wizard of Oz”.  She was a great jumper, very tough, very brave and very, very smart.  She made us laugh and we loved her dearly.

            Well, long, horrible story short, from the minute we returned home on Christmas night until 4:30am on December 26^th I fought to help Maggiano and she fought to hang on.  However, it wasn’t meant to be.  She made the final decision herself, laying down on one of her favorite large pillows and going to sleep. 

            Dave and I are in shock and mourning today.  I know many people will question our love and connection to our pets, and I understand that there are much more awful things in this world than losing a pet, but I feel sad for the people who don’t understand the love and friendship a pet can bring to you.  Our dogs and cats are our family.  We love them with all our hearts.  When we are sad we can tell them our problems, or bury our faces in their fur until their love seems to ease our pain.  To be without our little girlie today is an incredible loss.  There is an emptiness in our hearts and in our home.  Of course, our Christmas together has been put on hold.  We thank every single person who was so thoughtful and tried so hard to get a gift to make us happy.  Today the only gift we really want is the one we can no longer have – our Darling Maggiano.

            We loved you dearly, sweet girl, and we will miss you forever.

Our Walks, Ep 32

My Adventures with Wookie

Wookie was special.  She thought so, and so did we.

From the day I found her in the woods with her German Shepherd protector/ entourage by her side, until the day she left us almost 18 years later, Wookie went everywhere with Dave and me.  She was a Papillion mix, weighing 12 pounds at her maximum.  She was my first tiny dog.  I’ve never thought of myself as a tiny dog-person.  Westies are the smallest dogs I’ve ever owned, and I consider them pretty small.  60-100 pounds of canine usually makes me happiest.  However, Wookie was not a tiny dog at heart.  She was tough, street-smart, and a walking fool.  She taught me the true joy of walking with a pal, and, because of her small size, she was welcomed everywhere; into hotel rooms, onto planes, and in the homes of people who were not ordinarily dog lovers.  Everyone loved little Wookie.

For 18 years she slept on top of my pillow with Dave’s hand draped over her back.  She was in a TV commercial with me, as well as having several newspaper articles written about her.  She was the first dog I ever took to the nursing home, and she was beloved.  Due to her small size, every resident took turns holding her on their laps and stroking her.  She loved them all.

Of course, Wookie came to the clinic with me everyday.  She had her own bed under our reception desk where she liked to lay or be in close proximity to greet clients.  I had given Wookie a tiny plastic pink bunny when she first arrived; it was her dearest friend.  Everyday she came into the clinic and ran to find her “bunny” so she could toss her into the air and play “catch” herself.  Then, she carefully placed “bunny” into her bed so she could snuggle against her.

While Wookie was in our lives, Dave and I were more mobile (our last few dog packs have made this less possible).  Wookie loved nothing more than a road trip filled with new adventures.  She didn’t like plane rides as much, but she always loved the destinations.  We camped together, visited family in St. Louis and Atlanta, Georgia together, and every year we took Dave’s Mom to Florida for a beach vacation.  This was everyone’s personal favorite.

Wookie made every single thing more fun with her presence, and gave me the gift of exploring each new place through our walks together.  This is what I miss more than anything without her.

Next time: More on Wookie and our adventures together.

Macaroni, Ep 33

From the moment I crawled underneath the clinic air conditioner to pull little Macaroni ‘n Cheese into my arms, he stole my heart.

Little did I know on that rainy day in April 11 years ago that, thanks to this sweet, but fearful little boy, I would begin on a journey to learn more about dog behavior than  I ever thought possible.  This little houndy-boy needed my help, and I never wanted to let him down.

The journey and blessing of Macaroni’s life with us taught Dave and me so many things.  It taught me the peace and joy that comes from gently stroking a soft, hound dog ear.  It taught me the healing power that comes from walking beside your dog, and that a walk isn’t only for fun (although it is fun, too).  A walk beside Macaroni was an intense bonding experience for us both.  It helped him to learn to trust, and it helped me to guide and calm him.  And the blessing of Macaroni brought great love into our home and our family.

Don’t get me wrong- Dave and I love and have always loved every single one of our pets, and we have been blessed with some of the most extraordinary pets this world has to offer.  Because I’m a veterinarian, and seemingly the collector of all pets with issues, each boy or girl that comes into our life has needed us in some unique way.  Still, Macaroni was special.  He needed us just a little more than all of the others, and, in turn, he gave just a little something more of himself back.  He was a lost soul when he came to us, and the bravest and most loving boy when he left us.  Dave and I will carry him in our hearts forever.  We think of him each and every day.

For now, I will stop writing about our boy on a regular basis.  It’s been a year since he died, and I’m afraid that keeping his memory alive is keeping my grief alive as well, and I know our boy wouldn’t want that.

Macaroni did truly change the life of every single person he met.  Everyday something I see or do reminds me of our boy, and Dave and my staff mention how much they love and miss him at least one, two or even three times each week.  To live a life where you’ve touched so many is to truly have lived a special life indeed.

I thank everyone for loving our boy so, and for reading my thoughts about him.  Your kind and loving words helped me and Dave so much.