www.atlantabeaglerescue.org

At the end of June we were lucky enough to be in Missoula, Montana which is very close to Rolling Dog Ranch. We were able to take a gorgeous hour drive through some of the most amazing countryside and finally meet Steve and Alayne in person.

 
Andy and Briggs Catch Up

The ranch is WONDERFUL, and the passion and dedication that Steve and Alyane have for these animals is so very apparent. They gave us the grand tour and we got to reunite with Briggs and Lucky (now named Aaron) and I had a special reunion with the very first blind beagle I placed there, Widget. She is quite a character and is completely fearless.

We also met Birdie, who was a lovely black Lab with the Lab version of muscular dystrophy. She thinks everyone coming to the ranch is there to see her, so everyone has to greet her first. She was so sweet and obviously just loved life to the fullest. We were very sad to read on the Rolling Dog Ranch blog that she recently died suddenly.

We faced our own loss just before we went to Montana when our 15 year old cat, Slinky, suddenly stopped eating. Some bloodwork and x-rays later showed extremely enlarged kidneys - the sign of a very sick cat. We gave IV fluid and tempted her with the stinkiest cat food we could find, to no avail. We did not want to remember our beloved Slinkster as really sick and unable to groom herself and looking skeletal, which is what generally happens when cats are dying of kidney malfunction. We knew the greatest gift we could give her now was to let her go with dignity and not draw her suffering out for our own selfishness. She told us she was ready to go and both my husband and I were there for her last breath. We love our vet clinic so much.

I had watched Slinky being born 15 years ago in my sister's apartment closet. She was with me for numerous moves including a frightening evacuation from New Orleans. She kept my head warm at night and my blood pressure low on bad days and was our most mellow dog tester. Whenever we introduced a new foster beagle to her she would look at us as if to say "Not another one!" and then be so patient as she was thoroughly sniffed and inspected and then ignored.

Losing pets is never easy, no matter how it happens. Our own dogs are aging and beginning to have minor health problems. But we can't imagine abandoning them when they need us most, and can't imagine not being there with them in their last moments.

I will be mixing Slinky's ashes in some potting soil and planting another gardenia (my favorite flower). New live from old.