In my heart forever

See this little guy.

He was one of the best things to ever come into my life.

See this little beauty. She was one of the other best things.

You can see a video of them both here on You Tube – having a very typical  moment.

We lost Rosie a year ago. She was about 17 – we  can’t be 100% certain of her age as we had her from a dogs home. She had just been abandoned – tied to a post. But we had her 16 years & we think she was about one when we had her. Two years after we had Rosie  - after our other lovely dog Susie had to be put to sleep – we got Eddie as company for Rosie (& for us – we were grieving for Susie & realised we were a two dog family).

We didn’t know what had hit us. Whereas Rosie & Susie would play together  (they would tug on a blanket for what seemed like hours) and seemed to genuinely care for each other (when Rosie was spayed & was lying on the sofa recovering Susie checked on her by the hour like a little mother hen), the  young pup Eddie (also from a dog’s home- but only 3 months old so a real puppy) & Rosie were at war almost from the start. He liked to leap around her like a crazy lamb (he increasingly grew to look like one too) &  she  wanted her peace – or at least a companion who was less of a handful than Eddie.  So it wasn’t exactly a match made in heaven- she was the older sister & he the boisterous younger brother. But they muddled along –  and grew accustomed to each other’s ways over the years.

Then Rosie got older & more tired & then had a tumour. Last year she had to be put to sleep. It was one of the worst times of our lives – for all of us. Eddie didn’t understand. He looked for her every morning. It was only when she’d gone we realised how much he had loved his older sister. It was heartbreaking.

And then over the last 12 months he got old too. So rapidly. In the last year his legs got stiffer (he could barely move the back ones by the end), he started falling all the time, he couldn’t climb the stairs (he used to sleep in our room but has slept downstairs the last 3 months – he just gave up trying the stairs). He could no longer  jump on the sofa. He didn’t want to go out the back garden. His hearing & sight started to fail him. He was 14 and a half. A good age I know.

I remember his hey day. The time he leapt over the fence & went swimming in next door’s pond- Peter had to jump over the fence after him- praying the neighbours couldn’t see through the window. And the  time he attacked the cat next door (same neighbours…they must have loved us) – thankfully the cat was ok. Once the police found a dead body a couple of doors down from us- suspected murder (I know… rough area). We opened our front door to see what was going on -forgetting for once the speed of Eddie – & he darted out & – thank goodness – ran to the right rather than the left. If he’d gone the other way I just know he would have been paw deep in a murder  scene destroying all the evidence in no time at all. Then there was the time he somehow managed to get hold of the Valentines Day card Peter was writing for me & urinated  all over it. Another time he jumped on the back of the sofa & urinated over Peter. He liked to urinate wherever he could.

That is the Eddie I will remember.

Last night we could see his condition was worsening. He could barely walk.  He was very uncomfortable. He looked in so much pain. So we contacted the vet & took him in. The vet was wonderful – he made Eddie’s last moments  relaxed & peaceful.

Last night we said goodbye to this little guy & today we can’t stop crying. We know it was the right thing to do but how do we cope with knowing we won’t see him again? The house is so empty without him. We miss him so much. I hope & pray there’s an  afterlife & he’s there right now playing with Rosie & meeting Susie – who he never knew. I send the three of them all my love. I miss you guys. You are in my heart forever.  And Eddie- please play nice.